ARCHIVED - Serious riots in Barcelona, Burgos and Santander against Covid restrictions
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
Behaviour like this will propel several regions of Spain towards a total lockdown quicker than any rise in covid cases
At least twelve people were arrested and 30 wounded in a battle which took place in the Catalan capital between police and protestors on Friday evening, a scene which was repeated in Burgos and Santander, as mainly young people protested against the covid restrictions imposed this week.
Around 1500 people participated in a protest against the covid measures in Barcelona, in the Plaza de Sant Jaume, the protestors mainly deniers and members of the hostelry sector in Barcelona, as well as known right-wing groups, critical of the measures imposed by the Catalan Government which have included the total closure of all bars and restaurants.
The protest turned to violence later in the afternoon, as protestors started throwing stones, firecrackers and the barriers which had been erected to limit the protest at police, rapidly disintegrating into a running street battle with bins being set on fire and two sports stores, one of them Decathlon, looted by rioters.
Twelve people were arrested and several have been injured: 10 protesters and 20 Mossos agents were attended at the scene by the emergency services.
The Mossos were forced to guard the Palau de la Generalitat, the main administrative building of the regional government, to prevent a group of hooded men from trying to enter by force.
According to the general director of the Catalan Police, several violent groups were identified, some of them from the far right.
There were also riots and street battles between police and protestors in Burgos and Santander and on Thursday night in Bilbao.
The Catalan Government has itself put aid packages and financial support mechanisms in place for the hostelry sector, and is implementing a wide range of measures to contain the virus, but the rate of infections is increasing in spite of all efforts made to date.
Castilla y León was one of the first to voluntarily impose internal restrictions due to the rapid increase in cases and both regions are amongst the worst in the country for contagion rates.
On Friday both the Catalan and Castilla y León Governments started to talk openly about the worrying situation in both regions, and both Governments have requested that the National Government put in place the legislative and administrative mechanisms which will be required by their respective governments to implement a full lockdown.
It has been said this week by the national Ministry of Health, that the options open to governments in this situation are starting to run out, and very soon there will be little room left for manoeuvre other than to impose complete lockdowns, similar to those experienced in the spring; the sad truth is that behaviour like this only gives ammunition to that argument and does more to advance the cause for total lockdown than even an exaggerated rise in covid cases.
To be listed on the CAMPOSOL TODAY MAP please call +34 968 018 268.
To be listed on the CONDADO TODAY MAP please call +34 968 018 268.
Guidelines for submitting articles to Camposol Today
Hello, and thank you for choosing CamposolToday.com to publicise your organisation’s info or event.
Camposol Today is a website set up by Murcia Today specifically for residents of the urbanisation in Southwest Murcia, providing news and information on what’s happening in the local area, which is the largest English-speaking expat area in the Region of Murcia.
When submitting text to be included on Camposol Today, please abide by the following guidelines so we can upload your article as swiftly as possible:
Send an email to editor@camposoltoday.com or contact@murciatoday.com
Attach the information in a Word Document or Google Doc
Include all relevant points, including:
Who is the organisation running the event?
Where is it happening?
When?
How much does it cost?
Is it necessary to book beforehand, or can people just show up on the day?
…but try not to exceed 300 words
Also attach a photo to illustrate your article, no more than 100kb