The police attacks against last year's Catalan independence referendum left hundreds injured around Catalonia. Thanks to videos recorded by many members of the public, the images of that day have been seen around the world and have helped the judge investigating the violent operation to stop the vote.
Now, just days before the first anniversary of the referendum, eldiario.es has obtained dozens of new videos of that day: those recorded by the cameras worn by anti-riot officers of the Spanish National Police.
The first video was recorded at Nostra Llar school in Sabadell, near Barcelona, one of Catalonia's largest cities, the polling station expected to receive the then speaker of the Catalan Parliament, Carme Forcadell. The police arrive to find protesters crowded around the door chanting "votarem, votarem" (We will vote). The video cuts to officers holding a quick conference: "they'll have to be removed", "okay". Then there are various confused shots back with the crowd; at least one person can be heard asking for help, the officer later directs people away from the doors "for your own safety".
Once inside the building, having climbed through a broken window, they unsuccessfully look for the ballot boxes. One of the officers can be heard, frustrated, asking "where are the bloody ballot boxes, damn it?", as they kick and sledgehammer their way through doors.
Another video comes from one of the first places in Catalonia which saw police intervention that day, Barcelona's Mediterrània school. A member of the public chants that they will vote; the officer with the camera urges his colleagues to continue removing protesters. Note: this video includes images of at least one person apparently covered in blood.
Eldiario.es also has the images from Ramon Llull school, also in Barcelona. It opens with an officer saying "this girl's going to get hurt, you know", it appears she doesn't want to leave so he says "if anything bad happens, don't say it was the police, okay?". Another officer apparently says "and that Sanfermines thing you'll say was rape". In the next shot, the officer with the camera says, with his hands clasped as if in prayer, "it's better to leave [now] because later it would be much worse, dude". Then, he talks to a woman: "You've seen how they're ending up? You're going to end up the same"; "I'm not going", she replies; suddenly, another officer grabs her and pulls her away and out. "But what are you doing?", someone left in the crowd asks. The reply: "the same thing we're going to do to all of you".
Ramon Llull school was one of the sites which saw the most people injured, including a man, Roger Español, who lost an eye.