The judge concluded there was reasonable doubt regarding the police account of the events. The officers claimed the activists tried to ram their patrol boat during a chase near the W Hotel, but the court found no objective evidence to support these allegations.
The protest took place during a Cercle d'Economia event attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The activists were displaying banners calling for a green recovery when the police intervention began.
“"The right to protest is the basis of freedom."
The ruling criticized the excessive zeal of the officers and noted that video evidence showed a standard protest action rather than a dangerous attack. Prosecutors had been seeking six-year prison sentences for the two environmentalists.
