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Protests erupt as police and civil guards oppose government’s migration shift to Catalonia
Hundreds of National Police officers and Civil Guards gathered in front of the Spanish Congress on Wednesday, protesting the government’s decision to transfer responsibility for border control and migration management to Catalonia. Holding signs criticizing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the protesters warned that this shift could turn Catalonia into a semi-independent region within Spain.
Juan Fernández, Secretary-General of the Unified Civil Guard Association (AUGC), argued that the government’s plan goes beyond what is publicly stated, emphasizing that the proposed legislation would transfer control of borders and migration to a regional police force. Fernández dismissed Marlaska’s claims that the agreement with Junts only involves "delegating" powers, assuring that it would not affect border control or irregular migration. He criticized the government's statements and suggested that former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont’s words—claiming Catalonia would assume state-level powers—better reflect the reality of the situation.
During the protest, opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo showed his support, stressing that national security depends on maintaining control over borders and migration. Feijóo called the Junts agreement harmful to both Catalonia and Spain's sovereignty. Vox’s Javier Ortega Smith also voiced support for the protestors.
AUGC’s Fernández expressed concern that the government’s actions are dismantling the National Police and Civil Guard in Catalonia, citing the loss of responsibilities over the Seprona (Environmental Protection Service), ports, and airports. He warned that soon there would be no representation of the Spanish state in Catalonia. He again called for Marlaska’s resignation, accusing him of complicity in undermining Spain's sovereignty.
During the protest, symbolic gestures were made, including a cardboard coffin representing the "death" of the National Police in Catalonia and a mannequin of Puigdemont dressed as a National Police officer. Mónica Gracia, Secretary-General of the Unified Police Union (SUP), condemned the government for misleading the public about the role of the Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police, and emphasized that the transfer of migration control to Catalonia is unconstitutional.
Gracia and other protest leaders warned that the national security and migration control should remain under the state’s authority, calling the government's actions a threat to Spain's security. JUSAPOL, a union representing both the National Police and Civil Guard, also joined the demonstration, stressing that the transfer of powers was dismantling the national police forces in Catalonia. The protestors vowed to continue their actions and warned that more protests would follow if the government did not reverse its decision.
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