Pro-independence Catalan MP Laura Borràs has complained that this Tuesday at lunchtime she was harassed in central Madrid by police officers taking part in a protest called by the police union Jusapol, right in front of the Spanish Congress. Both Borràs and the press officer for her party, Together for Catalonia (JxCat), were chased by protesters down the street as they were trying to take a taxi.
"Incredible: our press officer and I were chased from Calle Cedaceros down to number 40 Carrera de San Jerónimo by people with masks and Spanish flags," said Borràs via Twitter. She also criticized the attitude of members of the Congress's security service. "We requested protection from the security service at Congress in order to get a taxi and the answer was touching: 'What for, if they are police officers?'" she recounted.
Increïble: ens han perseguit a la nostra cap de premsa i a mi des de Cedaceros fins al 40 de C. San Jerónimo amb màscares i ‘estanqueras’. Hem demanat protecció a la seguretat del @Congreso_Es per poder pujar al taxi i la resposta és entranyable: ‘para qué, si son policías’ 🤷🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️.
— Laura Borràs 🎗 (@LauraBorras) March 3, 2020
The situation in front of the lower house of the Spanish parliament was quite tense, as protesters breached the security perimeter and the access doors to the Congressional building had to be closed. After the refusal of the two National Police officers on security duty to provide protection to the MP and press chief, "with the doors closed due to the danger from protesters who were left to their own devices", parliamentary employees of the JxCat and BNG parties finally accompanied them through the tunnel that connects the two Congress buildings, to take a taxi which was waiting outside the cordoned-off area.
Davant de la negativa del @Congreso_Es a oferir-nos protecció, amb les portes tancades pel perill dels manifestants que campaven lliurement per tot arreu, tècnics de @JuntsXCat i @bngcongreso m’han acompanyat a pujar al taxi que s’esperava fora de la zona acordonada via túnel! pic.twitter.com/sSHQuK5JxL
— Laura Borràs 🎗 (@LauraBorras) March 3, 2020
Els dos PN que eren a la porta s’han negat a acompanyar-nos, malgrat que el perill era ben evident. Els uixers del @Congreso_Es ,en canvi, han sortit fora de l’edifici amb nosaltres i veient la situació ens han demanat que creuéssim mitjançant el túnel que uneix els dos edificis.
— Laura Borràs 🎗 (@LauraBorras) March 3, 2020
On the way from the Congress door to the taxi, the JxCat deputy was verbally abused by protesters. "The insults were brutal: 'bitch', 'fucking Catalans'," says Borràs, who described how surprised the employees who accompanied them were, and the taxi driver as well, with the passive response of the police officers not involved in the protest.
Un cop travessat el carrer, de la porta del @Congreso_Es a la del taxi eren 5 metres escassos però l’escridassada i els insults han estat brutals: ‘hija de puta’, ‘putos catalanes’....Els tècnics,garratibats, i el taxista també davant la passivitat dels PN que no es manifestaven.
— Laura Borràs 🎗 (@LauraBorras) March 3, 2020
Once in the taxi, Borràs contacted the speaker of Congress, Meritxell Batet, to report the failure of the police officers to help. Borràs called on Batet "to find out how deputies could have been denied protection when masked protesting police officers with flares were threatening us as they were."
Finalment, ja des del taxi, camí de l’aeroport, he posat els fets en coneixement de la Presidenta del @Congreso_Es @meritxell_batet per fer la denúncia i que esbrini com es nega protecció a diputats quan manifestants policies emmascarats i amb bengales amenacen com ens han fet.
— Laura Borràs 🎗 (@LauraBorras) March 3, 2020
Laura Borràs, shortly after the incident, said that the facts showed that "security is not for everyone" and added that if the protesters had been Catalans instead of police officers, "they would already be before the National Audience court".