JUDICIAL EXPENSES FOR THE PERSECUTED COMRADES

On the 21st of August of 2023 the "Brigade of Violent Extremisms"[1] of the Mossos d'Esquadra[2], orchestrated the detention of 8 people in Barcelona, near their houses or on their daily commutes. The next day they were presented before the prosecutor and the judge and charged with public disorders and for the damages caused during the inter-union demonstration for International Workers Day on the 1st of May of 2023, four and a half months earlier.

At the preliminary investigation stage, four persons who had been arrested on the day of the demonstration were also included in the case. Two of them have since been acquitted, leaving a total of 10 people accused at the moment.

In April 2025, the indictment was made public, thus closing the preliminary investigation phase and leaving our 10 comrades awaiting trial. They are accused of public disorders and damages with the aggravating factor of concealment of identity, and the penalties sum up to 8 years of prison (the case is being tried on application of the last reform of the penal code regarding public disorders in 2022 (* see annex)

For the material damages for which our comrades are held responsible, the various plaintiff companies (some of them capitalist giants such as LaCaixa [3], Starbucks, Zara, amongst others) claim 500.000 euros as "civil liability " damages. This has served as justification for an order to freeze their bank accounts as a provisional measure. This order is not unusual in cases of political repression,  but what is unusual is that this order gets executed so quickly. Thus today our comrades have their accounts frozen until the date of the trial, which is presumed to happen during the course of this year. In addition to this excessive and unpayable sum, the prosecution has ordered an extra fine of €60,000, which they may be forced to pay in order to avoid adding 10 months to their prison sentence.

Some additional measures that the peresecution also asked for was that upon release from prison they will be prohibited from entering the centre of Barcelona (the specific streets that the shops that were damaged are located). Also, the prosecution requests the withdrawal of passports from the accused who are not Spanish nationals and the expulsion from Spanish territory.

Why we raise money:

These types of processes take an emotional and financial toll on the prosecuted and their families/environments. The long period of investigation and waiting for the trial to take place becomes an integral part of the punishment. For this reason we see the necesity to collect funds through a solidarity campaign, since alone we cannot face the exhaustion that the financial repression creates.

Although they have not yet been tried, the brutality of the prosecution's demands leads us to believe that our comrades will get sentenced for at least a part of what the persecution currently asks for and will not be able to avoid going to prison or paying part of the financial demands.

We are raising money firstly for the present legal costs: paying for lawyers and forensic law support, and for the future for when our comrades enter prison; for expenses such as family travels, personal funds, material needs in the prison, etc. 

SOLIDARITY TO ALL PERSECUTED COMRADES !

Annex: the law reform of 2022 

This case is a concrete example of the application of the 2022 reform of Article 557. This reform was presented as a step forward in guaranteeing the right to protest by the "most progressive government in the history"[4], as it eliminated the crime of sedition, allowing for the amnesty of pro-independence political prisoners. But it also redefined the crime of public disorder, increasing the associated penalties. We see this reform more and more lately being used to severely repress demonstrations that go beyond simple peaceful protests.

[1] In spanish : "Brigada de Extremismos Violentos" : Special Cop Unit specialized in so called "extremist violence
[2] Catalan police force

[3]one of the biggest Spanish banks

[4] Systemic media made constant referalls to the goverment of Pedro Sanchez of the Social Democrats party as the most progressive government in the history of Spain, while of course is the same goverment that has applied elavated repressive measures, had infiltrated police in social movements, and keeps applying racist profiling operations and massive deportations.

SOLIDARITY WITH COMRADES OF THE CASE OF 1ST OF MAY 2023 IN BARCELONA

On the 21st of August of 2023 the "Brigade of Violent Extremisms"[1] of the Mossos d'Esquadra[2], orchestrated the detention of 8 people in Barcelona, near their houses or on their daily commutes. The next day they were presented before the prosecutor and the judge and charged with public disorders and for the damages caused during the inter-union demonstration for International Workers Day on the 1st of May of 2023, four and a half months earlier.

At the preliminary investigation stage, four persons who had been arrested on the day of the demonstration were also included in the case. Two of them have since been acquitted, leaving a total of 10 people accused at the moment.

In April 2025, the indictment was made public, thus closing the preliminary investigation phase and leaving our 10 comrades awaiting trial. They are accused of public disorders and damages with the aggravating factor of concealment of identity, and the penalties sum up to 8 years of prison (the case is being tried on application of the last reform of the penal code regarding public disorders in 2022 (* see annex)

For the material damages for which our comrades are held responsible, the various plaintiff companies (some of them capitalist giants such as LaCaixa [3], Starbucks, Zara, amongst others) claim 500.000 euros as "civil liability " damages. This has served as justification for an order to freeze their bank accounts as a provisional measure. This order is not unusual in cases of political repression,  but what is unusual is that this order gets executed so quickly. Thus today our comrades have their accounts frozen until the date of the trial, which is presumed to happen during the course of this year. In addition to this excessive and unpayable sum, the prosecution has ordered an extra fine of €60,000, which they may be forced to pay in order to avoid adding 10 months to their prison sentence.

Some additional measures that the peresecution also asked for was that upon release from prison they will be prohibited from entering the centre of Barcelona (the specific streets that the shops that were damaged are located). Also, the prosecution requests the withdrawal of passports from the accused who are not Spanish nationals and the expulsion from Spanish territory.

Why we raise money:

These types of processes take an emotional and financial toll on the prosecuted and their families/environments. The long period of investigation and waiting for the trial to take place becomes an integral part of the punishment. For this reason we see the necesity to collect funds through a solidarity campaign, since alone we cannot face the exhaustion that the financial repression creates.

Although they have not yet been tried, the brutality of the prosecution's demands leads us to believe that our comrades will get sentenced for at least a part of what the persecution currently asks for and will not be able to avoid going to prison or paying part of the financial demands.

We are raising money firstly for the present legal costs: paying for lawyers and forensic law support, and for the future for when our comrades enter prison; for expenses such as family travels, personal funds, material needs in the prison, etc. 

SOLIDARITY TO ALL PERSECUTED COMRADES !

Annex: the law reform of 2022 

This case is a concrete example of the application of the 2022 reform of Article 557. This reform was presented as a step forward in guaranteeing the right to protest by the "most progressive government in the history"[4], as it eliminated the crime of sedition, allowing for the amnesty of pro-independence political prisoners. But it also redefined the crime of public disorder, increasing the associated penalties. We see this reform more and more lately being used to severely repress demonstrations that go beyond simple peaceful protests.

[1] In spanish : "Brigada de Extremismos Violentos" : Special Cop Unit specialized in so called "extremist violence
[2] Catalan police force

[3]one of the biggest Spanish banks

[4] Systemic media made constant referalls to the goverment of Pedro Sanchez of the Social Democrats party as the most progressive government in the history of Spain, while of course is the same goverment that has applied elavated repressive measures, had infiltrated police in social movements, and keeps applying racist profiling operations and massive deportations.