The reported police action took place on the exit ramp of the Sants station parking lot in Barcelona. A group of demonstrators had staged a sit-in to boycott the departure of a bus transporting the Hapoel Jerusalem basketball team to Manresa, as part of the general strike supporting the Palestinian cause on October 15.

Public order agents of the Mossos d'Esquadra surrounded the sit-in and sprayed the protesters with OC spray, commonly known as pepper gas. This action, which was recorded and went viral, has led to the filing of six legal actions before the duty courts in Barcelona.

The plaintiffs are represented by a legal coordination team formed by Alerta Solidària, Irídia, the CGT, the Intersindical, and the IAC. The lawsuit targets the agents involved in the operation for alleged crimes including injuries, against moral integrity, and coercion.

The legal defense has requested several investigative procedures, including the identification of the agents and commanders, all available footage (including police cameras), and the publication of the internal protocol for the use of OC spray by the Interior department. According to Sònia Olivella, this protocol is currently under review.

About forty people required medical attention due to the incident, suffering from irritation, intoxication, and bruises. Xavi Monge, from Alerta Solidària, warned that in some cases, symptoms have persisted, such as the visual hypersensitivity suffered by one of the affected individuals. Among the plaintiffs are two union members and a photojournalist, who criticize the curtailment of union rights and the right to information.

In a related context, Cèlia Cassanyes, from the Coalició Prou Complicitat amb Israel (Coalition Enough Complicity with Israel), announced a new protest scheduled for January 6 at the Palau Blaugrana, coinciding with the match between Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Barça. The coalition insists that “this match should not be played; one does not play with genocidaires”.