The aggression by several riot police against a 17-year-old boy who was carrying a estelada at the Elche-Barça match is shameful. A police officer who allows that and does not take immediate measures (opening an investigation that ends up forgotten is not one) has a problem. The violence used was disproportionate, with signs of cruelty from some officer, against someone who poses absolutely no security threat. When there are police officers who do not have a clear understanding of their role in a democratic society, such attitudes cannot be covered up. On the contrary, for their own good and that of the community they serve.
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The fact that the object of discord was a estelada caused outrage from the ANC and Òmnium, who asked Barça for an act of reparation, which Joan Laporta agreed to, so that Camp Nou would be covered with the independence flag as a protest. One might wonder, if it had been a Palestinian flag, for example, whether the police would have reacted with such virulence and whether the Catalan entities and the club would have filled the stadium with that symbol. What matters is to denounce an intolerable police abuse, whatever the reason.
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Meanwhile, Laporta decided that “the context” was not appropriate to pay tribute to the players who won the World Cup and has canceled it. It is not very clear whether it is because he considers it contradictory to applaud the estelada and la roja almost at the same time or if he preferred to spare us a booing of the champions (accompanied or not by members of the Spanish federation), as happened in San Mamés, when part of the stadium whistled at the players. But it is curious that freedom of expression (that of the assaulted young man) is defended while trying to prevent the possible booing, especially when the club defended it in the past, for example, against the Spanish anthem in the presence of the King or against the Champions League. When strange decisions are made, ironies occur: the Barça players who won the World Cup are applauded by the Elche stands, but not in their own stadium because maybe some enjoy whistling. Surely there are solutions so that the eight blaugrana who won the trophy can receive recognition for their merit: having been the best in the world at what they do.
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