Prosecutors have opened an investigation against the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) for their alleged inaction on 8th and 9th December in the face of protests by the Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDR). If they find evidence of inaction, they threaten to move ahead with a lawsuit.
The order to investigate comes from the high prosecutor of Catalonia, Francisco Bañeres. Bañeres says that "there is evidence that Mossos units appeared" and that news reports show that "the behaviour of the deployed units wasn't directed at dissuading those present in their behaviour, nor towards using, having been necessary, the essential and proportional force to reestablish legal order in the face of an illegal action". He says that the demonstration caused "unjustified ongoing damage to the rights of the masses of the users of the motorway and an increase in the losses of the licensed company".
Bañeres' order looks to investigate whether the Mossos did what they should have done or not. He writes that "if the absence of pressure from the units deployed or their leniency in demanding the reestablishment of order and the restoration of their rights to the affected members of the public is confirmed, this conduct could give rise to responsibility, for which reason it is suitable to undertake investigative proceedings".
On the bank holiday weekend of 8th and 9th December, the CDRs held a number of protest actions. As on other occasions, on Saturday they blocked the AP-7 motorway south of Tarragona from 7am to 10pm. On Sunday afternoon, different groups at different places around Catalonia lifted toll barriers.
The order has been delivered to the Mossos' head commissioner, Miquel Esquius, who has 10 days to provide details of the deployments made and the names of those responsible for the operations. He also has to hand over the orders and communications made during the events.