Trapero defends the use of pepper spray in the Barcelona protests for Palestine

BarcelonaOC spray, made from natural pepper extract, is a substance that expels a gaseous cloud that immediately irritates the eyes and throat of those exposed. of a police tool that the Mossos d'Esquadra are using more and moreFor example, last October during the pro-Palestinian protests held in Barcelona. The Director General of the Catalan Police, Josep Lluís Trapero, defended the use of pepper spray by the deployed officers this Wednesday in the Catalan Parliament, stating that they faced a situation in which "generalized violence" by minority groups "escalated." The events occurred on October 15th during the general strike in support of the Palestinian cause. Specifically, during the demonstration leaving Sants station. Trapero explained that a group sat down on the exit ramp of the station parking lot because a bus carrying the Hapoel Jerusalem basketball team to Manresa for a game was scheduled to depart. After the protesters "disobeyed" the officers' orders and the officers were unable to remove them, Trapero asserted that it was the commanding officer present who decided to use pepper spray "in order to clear the ramp."

According to the Director General of the Police, pepper spray in Catalonia has never been used directly on demonstrators, but rather at a high angle and from a distance to create a cloud for dispersal. For her part, the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, defended the police action, stating that they "act with proportionality and balance" and that, in the case of October 15th, "it wasn't a bus incident," but rather "a conflict over fundamental rights." She also stated that this conflict "was resolved technically because there was no political directive."

Criticism from the groups

Trapero stated that pepper spray should not be used in situations of passive resistance and argued that, at the departure of the Hapoel Jerusalem team bus, a problem was arising due to conflicting interests in a very specific location. According to Trapero, this situation could be a "flame" for public order. ERC deputy Laia Cañigueral believes that Catalonia has "set back 40 years in terms of democratic control and transparency," and CUP deputy Xavier Pellicer accused Trapero and Parlon of "lying about many things" in their presentation, such as the claim that the use of pepper spray was preceded by warnings. Similarly, Comuns deputy Andrés García Berrio questioned the proportionality of the actions and said that what happened on the departure ramp with the sit-in "cannot be repeated." Meanwhile, the PP and Vox parties have closed ranks in support of the Mossos d'Esquadra's actions.

Three weeks ago, a judge already refused to investigate the officers who used pepper spray against protesters. The magistrate concluded that abusive use had not been proven and that the officers acted in accordance with the principles of suitability, necessity, and proportionality. She made this decision following a lawsuit filed by participants in the demonstrationAmong them were CUP deputy Xavier Pellicer, two union members, and a photojournalist. They argued that the use of pepper spray was "indiscriminate and repeated" given that it was an "absolutely peaceful" protest, but the judge decided not to open any investigation, considering the officers' actions "justified" and in accordance with protocol.