Ciutadans de Catalunya meeting scene of Catalan radicals attack on Arcadi Espada

The political platform group ‘Ciutadans de Catalunya’ complained yesterday that the journalist Arcadi Espada was assaulted in Girona, at the Auditori Narcis de Carreras de la Caixa, by a number of people in support of Catalan independence. The incident occurred when Espada was trying to enter the room in which the meeting - relating to the referendum on the new statute of autonomy for Catalonia, and going under the slogan ‘Si vas a votar, vota no’ (‘If you’re going to vote, vote no’) - was being held.

According to the Ciutadans de Catalunya, ‘a group of between 20 and 30 Catalan ‘independentistas’ called Arcadi Espada a ‘fascist’, jostled him and attacked different parts of his body.’

Espada explained to the El País newspaper that he felt more pain because of the mistreatment caused by the group on those people trying to protect him than the pain he received after having been struck himself.

The Ciutadans de Catalunya lamented that the police, ‘in spite of being warned of the possible existence of incidents’, did not help in protecting the writer.

Esapada received, according to witnesses present during the incident, ‘a punch to the head.’ The absence of a police presence at the event allowed, according to those attending, the Catalan radicals to act with impunity. The Ciutadans de Catalunya also report that at least three other people were assaulted when trying to enter the conference.

Sources from within the Catalan police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, deny that they were not present during the meeting. ‘The police did their work and were present from the first until the last [moment],’ said a police spokesperson.

The police criticised the event organisers for not having shown foresight in controlling access to the site in which the event was being held. ‘It was a private meeting and the police cannot say who can and cannot enter,’ the spokesperson added.

Although the meeting eventually went ahead, several attendees complained that they were forced to remain outside and unable to enter because the police had shut access to the meeting, citing reasons of safety.

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