After Salt, Mataró: They Attack the Police to Prevent the Arrest of a Squatter

Mataró is the new epicenter of violence perpetrated by foreigners and pro-occupiers against the police. After the riots that occurred in Salt just a month ago, the same episodes are now repeating in another city plagued by insecurity. A mob has attacked the Mossos d'Esquadra and the Local Police to prevent the arrest of a sub-Saharan squatter.

The riots led to vandalism in the early hours of Wednesday, with urban furniture destroyed and several containers set on fire. After controlling the situation, Mossos and Local Police activated a special device to keep order in the area. They will keep their presence in the area for two weeks to prevent new disturbances.

The reproduction of the same scheme as in Salt is starting to worry public order officials. There are entities and unions that are using the housing crisis to encourage the attacks. They do so backed by parties and the public and subsidized press.

What Happened in Mataró

According to TV Mataró, two people had been trying for weeks to access the ground floor apartment owned by a bank in the Cerdanyola neighborhood. They finally managed to enter by breaking a glass. On Wednesday, late in the afternoon, the police managed to arrest one of them after he jumped from the balcony.

This triggered a tense situation with the crowd that had gathered to prevent the arrest of the squatters. The Mossos attribute the disturbances to the squatters' environment, as well as to radical entities and activists.

Despite receiving attacks from the gathered crowd, the Mossos managed to complete the arrest and seal the property with a metal door. They are trying to prevent a new squatting, amid a wave of break-ins in this Mataró neighborhood. The neighbors have reported the insecurity situation in the neighborhood, where there are more and more squattings.

Threats to the Neighbors

The situation continued to escalate after the squatter's arrest, with riots and street violence in this Mataró neighborhood. During the early hours, six containers and trash cans were set on fire, and several incidents were recorded. The pro-occupiers made barricades with the containers in the street and continued seeking confrontation with the police.

The police have deployed the ARRO and motorized units to keep security in the coming days. The municipal government has spoken out against the riots, reiterating its commitment to zero violence.

According to local television, off the record, the neighbors report threats from the squatters. They fear reprisals because the criminals have even threatened to burn the building. Another demonstration of how dangerous it is to whitewash squatting from the media and encourage it from the Parliament's platform.