Violent protesters at Cort

PalmaIt is an obvious statement that everyone must be able to demonstrate and express their convictions freely. I am so radical with this assertion that I think even Franco's admirers should be able to portray themselves publicly. The pity is that they do not think the same and consider that those of us who do not think the same should hide in a sewer in silence, because we are like rats.

Nostalgics of the regime also attended Wednesday's demonstration at the Plaza de Cort. I can say this because I was there and I saw and heard them. Some "Viva Franco!" shouts were not missing.

Others behaved violently, both in terms of their proclamations and their attitude towards journalists. "You come from a shitty media outlet", "you are too fat to be on TV", "get your face and body operated on", "don't take my testimony because you are a shitty journalist"... Beyond these subjects' fondness for scatology, I must admit that it is difficult to work in these conditions. Even if you have experience with these kinds of situations. You always get a little nervous and worry that, this time, something might happen to you.

We have seen it with colleagues from Televisión Española, La Sexta, and other channels. It is not an exotic fact. There are attacks on journalists more and more often.

It was said that it was a call without political color. But it was not so. It was a demonstration mostly of right-wing and extreme right-wing citizens. Just as there are others mostly of left-wing and extreme left-wing citizens. This can be called democratic normality. However, it was also a protest of people whom the parties used for their own political gain. Just as they use the crisis in Ceuta and everything else that comes their way.

However, I saw well-intentioned people and, above all, people with fear, who wanted to raise their voices for a situation they consider dangerous and unjust. Politics takes advantage of these people; it is a generalized practice and independent of political color. Now it is Ceuta and another day it is something else.

Calling for reflection from political parties is useless at this moment. The call to the polls is too powerful to act with responsibility. Perhaps we should propose an exercise of resistance to manipulation, but the effort required would be titanic. Certainly, the situation is worrying.