16 Feb 2021, 20:16

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SEVERAL RIOTS AFTER THE ARREST OF PABLO HASÉL, A CATALAN RAPPER

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Riots a few minutes ago in Catalonia

The Mossos d'Escuadra are having to deal with several riots around Catalonia (especially in Barcelona, Lleida, Tarragona and Girona) after this morning's arrest of Pablo Hasél, a well-known Catalan rapper which was convicted to prison after carrying out a sentence for terrorism's exaltation and slanders to the Royal Household. His new sentence just included 9 months of prison, which means he wouldn't need to enter the prison, but he has several precedents: He assaulted a TV3 journalist, as he also attacked a witness from a trial against a police officer who was acussed of attacking one of his friends (the police officer from Barcelona got absolved in the end).

Unidas Podemos has condemned this arrest and has asked the Goverment to resign if they are a "truly democratic Government", but the Minister of Justice, Rafael Catalá, has answered back to Pablo Echenique, Podemos' spokeperson: "we have these kind of crime sin our laws, I would like to remove them, but this is not a democratic anomaly nor it is repression against certain ideologies or groups. If somebody thinks that, then I urge him to read the Código Penal and check if what I'm saying it's true. As of now, we will work towards removing these speech crimes, but we need 3/5 of the Congress. If the other parties want to help us, we will be pleased to receive their help." The President would have also called the King, who would have agreed on removing these crimes from the Código Penal.


UPDATE - The night has been tense and violent in Catalonia. The Mossos d'Escuadra police office at Vic was assaulted last night by a group of rioters. Many police officers were injured in Vic as in Barcelona and Lleida. The Policía Nacional is now having to charge in Madrid after the people started to lauch objects to the police. 18 people were arrested last nght and 33 ended up being injured - 20:06 - 17.02.2021