Over 300 Mossos Protest in Lleida Against Leadership and Excessive Tolerance: Turning Point

A week after the brutal assault in Mariola, Lleida, more than 300 police officers staged an unprecedented gathering in front of the city's police station. The mobilization was organized by unions such as SAP-Fepol, USPAC, and CCOO. Their main objective was to demand greater support from political and operational leaders following the attack suffered by the officers.

The historic demonstration marks a turning point in the relationship between rank-and-file police officers and their leaders. In the background is the growing violence suffered by citizens, which is also directed against the police.

This is why the officers have been warning for weeks about the security drift in Catalonia. They point to their leaders. But also to the political leniency that whitewashes crime and even encourages, by action or omission, violence against the police.

What Has Hurt the Officers the Most

The straw that broke the camel's back was the assault on six officers in the La Mariola neighborhood in Lleida. The incident occurred when the police were trying to control a fight between two families in the mentioned neighborhood. During their intervention, the officers were attacked with sticks and stones by a crowd belonging to the local Roma community.

As a result of the assault, four officers were hospitalized. One of them suffered a head injury that required several stitches and two nights of medical observation. The severity of the attack raised widespread concern for the physical integrity of the police members.

However, what enraged the officers the most was not so much the attack itself, but the statements made by the chief inspector of the Lleida police station, Xavier Ribelles. He, when referring to the assault, downplayed the incident by describing it as an "isolated incident" that "is part of the job" of police officers.

His words caused strong indignation among the officers, who felt that his attitude minimized the seriousness of what had happened.

Against Leaders and Politicians

The lack of institutional support, both from political leaders and operational superiors, was another reason for the gathering.

The regional chief commissioner, Josep Codina, spoke to the media, assuring that the attack was unacceptable. But the absence of the Director General of Police, Josep Lluís Trapero, and the refusal of the Prefecture to dismiss Ribelles, worsened the sense of abandonment among the Mossos.

The officers yesterday called for Ribelles's dismissal, who so far remains in his position despite the controversy caused by his statements. Although some police officials joined the officers' outcry, the political leadership, headed by Trapero, has been heavily criticized for its lack of involvement in the crisis.

Additionally, the situation has been exacerbated by the lack of progress in the investigation of the attack. Although several of the strikers have been identified, no arrests have yet been made.

The Mossos are working on identifying the perpetrators, who, once arrested, will be investigated for a possible attempted murder charge.

Josep-Lluís Trapero, the Main Target

This attack in Lleida is just one of the latest episodes of increasing conflict in several neighborhoods of Catalonia. Assaults on police officers have increased significantly in recent years.

According to official data, assaults on the Mossos reached record numbers last year. This same weekend, another detainee bit two officers in Cerdanyola del Vallès, causing serious injuries to one of them.

The fact that Codina has not taken more forceful measures has caused great discontent among the officers. Although he participated in a police event and publicly condemned the events, many believe that his stance has not been sufficient to support the affected officers.

The discontent also extended to the figure of the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa. During the celebration of the Esquadras in Barcelona, he assured that no neighborhood would be abandoned. But to date, he has not taken concrete actions to prevent situations like the one experienced in Lleida from recurring.

The Mossos denounce that the lack of commitment from political leaders and the growing violence in the streets of Catalonia are endangering the safety of officers and citizens.

To calm the situation and prevent the unions' protest from growing even larger, the Prefecture called a meeting with union representatives. During the meeting, police officials acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and agreed to increase resources to reinforce security in the most troubled neighborhoods. However, some unions, such as USPAC and CCOO, criticized Trapero's lack of involvement, who did not attend the meeting or travel to Lleida during the entire crisis.