The Mossos d’Esquadra burst violently and disproportionate to the 6th Migrant and Diverse Solidarity Economy Fair of Barcelona

The organizers and participants of the 6th Migrant and Diverse Economy Fair of Barcelona witnessed, last Saturday, October 4, of an excessive action by the Mossos d’Esquadra, who agreed to the space closing all the accesses to the square. This made it impossible not only to ambulance access, but also caused both paradistas and attendees to be retained without being able to leave, generating fear, insecurity, malaise and anxiety among the attendees. Despite the peaceful and cooperative atmosphere of the fair, the entrance without justification by the police body broke up with what was intended to be a safe and free space for violence.

Coópolis, the Ateneu Cooperativa de Barcelona as a promoter of the fair and its circle of migrations and being an antiracist in charge of the organization publicly denounce this abuse of the authority that It contradicts the proclamations of the Constitution and other international regulations that respond to respect for life, human dignity, freedom of association and peaceful meeting, among other fundamental rights.

International protocols on the use of force, such as the United Nations Guide to less lethal weapons of 2020, and the internal regulations of security forces state that the use of force must always be guided by the principles of need, proportionality, suitability and belonging. In no case is the emergence of a fair, social and recreational nature, with the use of police sticks to intimidate and threaten attendees, can be considered a proportional and adequate action.

Aggression and intimidation

Two people from the organization were assaulted, while a minor (16 years) was extracted from the square by force, handcuffed on the ground without reasons and detained, causing him an unacceptable abuse. Among the attendees had to attend to people with wounds of various gravity, such as a broken knee and bumps on the ribs, the legs and the head.

In addition to the physical violence experienced, The police irruption led to a great psychological discomfort among the participants, which includes children, creating a climate of bewilderment and vulnerability in a space for solidarity and peaceful coexistence, obviously making it difficult to program the event and the correct closure of it.

During the montage of the fair since Friday afternoon, the police presence was constant and intrusive. The fair’s organizers report that permits were asked for up to 5 times And making them feel unworthy of occupying a public space such as Plaça Catalunya.

“In a global context marked by the increase in racism and xenophobia, we consider it especially serious that these actions took place in an event organized by migrants and racialized people, which is part of the daily violence we suffer against our bodies. “

The people who experienced this situation claim to have been completely unprotected, because, despite fulfilling all the permits, protocols and requirements required by the consistory, no authority was urgently responded while the tension moments were experienced.

The 6th Migrant and Diverse Solidarity Economy Fair, organized by the Cercle of Migration and Anti -racist Solidarity Economy of the Ateneu Cooperativa de Barcelona – Coópolis, was held on Saturday, October 4 in the Plaza de Catalunya in the Catalan capital with all the municipal permits in order. In this space more than 100 socioproductive projects promoted by migrant and racialized people gathered to make visible their work and contribution to the city.

Coópolis, and especially the Circle of Migration and being an anti -racist for years to work to celebrate a fair in a space such as Plaça Catalunya Due to their political significance, so that the migrants and racialized people are at the center – and in this case, literally, in the city center -, but this type of aggression puts the work done to occupy these spaces at risk. This is the second edition that was held in this central location and it should be noted that never, in any of the spaces provided by the consistory to celebrate the fair, there have been any incidents of any kind.

Public complaint

All the entities that are part of coópolis denounce these facts that we reject and that outrage us. We demand a response from the administration responsible for the facts and a clear and firm commitment to the protection of the fundamental rights of all the people who inhabit the city of Barcelona, ​​without distinctions or discrimination.