The Director General of the Generalitat Police, Josep Lluís Trapero, justified the use of OC spray (natural pepper extract) by agents deployed in Barcelona on October 15 during the general strike supporting the Palestinian cause. According to Trapero, the tool was used because they faced a situation where "generalized violence" by minority groups caused an "escalation" of tension.
The incident took place at the exit of Sants station, where a group of demonstrators sat on the access ramp to block a bus transporting the Hapoel Jerusalem basketball team towards Manresa. Trapero explained that after the protesters "disobeyed" police orders and agents could not remove them, the commanding officer present decided to use pepper spray to unblock the ramp.
“"The police act based on proportionality and with careful consideration, and the conflict was resolved technically because there was no political directive."
The explanations received harsh criticism from opposition groups. ERC deputy Laia Cañigueral regretted that Catalonia has "regressed 40 years in terms of democratic control and transparency." Meanwhile, CUP deputy Xavier Pellicer and Comuns deputy Andrés García Berrio questioned the proportionality of the action, while PP and Vox supported the Mossos.
This institutional defense follows a judge's decision three weeks ago to refuse to investigate the agents involved. The magistrate concluded that the use of pepper spray adhered to the principles of suitability, necessity, and proportionality, dismissing a complaint filed by demonstration participants, including deputy Xavier Pellicer.
