"A hostile mass"

The National Police has returned from the August holidays with their September homework done: a nice internal report (but immediately sent to the courts) on the demonstration of July 26, in which the demonstrators appear as the culprits of the police charges, and seven people in particular are pointed out as the instigators of the clash. The government delegate, Alfonso Rodríguez, was urged to resign as the direct political official responsible for that episode of police brutality. There were more than enough reasons to ask for it, this resignation, although, on the other hand, it was quite predictable that Rodríguez would not resign, and he did not. On the contrary, he received the support of Pedro Sánchez himself after his visit to Felipe VI “to confer” in Marivent: the president and the head of the Spanish state are undoubtedly two conspicuous connoisseurs of the social reality of the Balearic Islands, who know better than anyone what the citizens of these fortunate islands need. For his part, the day after the demonstration. Rodríguez not only did not resign, but he commissioned this police report that now arrives loaded with blame for everyone except the Police. Indeed, a surprise never seen before.

It is not only about blaming citizens, but above all about criminalizing protest. To cast suspicion of extremism, intolerance, and violence on an absolutely legitimate social movement, which has carried out exemplary mobilizations from a civic standpoint. We must necessarily recall the case of the two activists from Santa Maria who were arrested, with handcuffs and all, and accused of belonging to a supposed “criminal organization” for some graffiti on the wall. And it should also be remembered that, on those same days, both the National Police and the Civil Guard warned that they would act – presumably forcefully – against those “who attack tourist interests”.

So said, so done. The matter, in summary, consists of hitting first, and then incriminating those who have received. It is a well-known script since October 1st in Catalonia: on that occasion, it was directly Felipe VI (who also deeply knows the Catalan social reality) who specifically blessed the police charges against citizens participating in a referendum. In 2017, police reports and declarations before the courts followed a script: the agents had to confront "riots" and had to act with "proportional" force. The keywords were 'riot' and 'proportional'. In the report on the baton blows of June 26th in Palma, which left more than 20 injured, including head blows, the police claim they were surrounded by "a hostile mass" that was pushing them towards Antoni Maura avenue, and that they also had to act "proportionally". For such trained and brave police officers, who – as they usually say – would give their lives to protect ours, it must be said that they get scared very easily: both in Catalonia and here, they became afraid of peaceful demonstrators, and resorted to violence that they later have to justify with false testimonies, half-truths, and complete lies. Politically, for the PP and Vox, a success: the police report is the trap that criminalizes protests against touristification and overcrowding, and the wear and tear is consumed by a PSIB-PSOE determined to close ranks around a government delegate who doesn't know how to do his job.