Barcelona Court Jails 3 Without Bail After Nov. 11 Strike Riots
A Barcelona court sent 3 people to pretrial detention without bail over the Nov. 11 strike riots and freed 23 others. Charges, protest bans and what is next.
Three people arrested during the riots that followed the Nov. 11 general strike in Barcelona have been sent to pretrial detention without bail. A Barcelona court of first instance took the decision on Friday after 26 detainees were brought before it, according to the Tribunal Superior de Justícia de Catalunya (TSJC, Catalonia’s High Court of Justice).
The court released the other 23 on conditions. They must report to the court regularly and stay available to the judges handling their cases. The cases cover criminal damage, assault on authority and public disorder, among other offenses, the TSJC said.
What the court decided on Friday
The three jailed suspects were placed in what Spanish law calls prisión provisional comunicada y sin fianza: custody while the investigation continues, with no option to pay bail to get out. Under the “comunicada” form, detainees can still have contact with others while in custody. The court did not name the suspects or explain what each of them is accused of doing.
La Vanguardia reported that the three were held over offenses connected to public disorder. Everyone else who appeared on Friday walked out of court, though their cases remain open.
A second group was freed on Thursday
Friday’s hearings were not the first. On Thursday, Barcelona’s investigating courts (juzgados de instrucción) granted provisional release to 16 of the 52 people detained in connection with Wednesday’s incidents, according to Spanish press reports. Judges also barred 7 of them from attending demonstrations while their cases go on.
Taken together, the two days of hearings mean most of those arrested on strike night are now back on the street under court conditions, while three are in custody.
What happened on strike night
The general strike on Wednesday ended with dozens of arrests after clashes in the city center during the night, according to La Vanguardia. Police said groups of hooded protesters threw objects, fireworks and incendiary material at the police line. Shops and store windows were also targeted, and police reported heavy damage to street furniture and to businesses at street level.
The two outlets give slightly different pictures of the totals. One describes the arrests as roughly fifty in all; the other refers to 52 people detained over Wednesday’s incidents. Neither the court nor the police has released a full breakdown of where each detainee stands.
What this means for people in Barcelona
For residents and shop owners in the center, the rulings show how the courts are handling the aftermath. Most suspects face charges but remain free, with reporting duties and, for some, a ban on joining protests. Anyone placed under that ban who turns up at a demonstration risks breaching the court’s conditions.
The charges are serious under Spanish law. Atentado (assault on authority) covers attacks or serious resistance against police officers and other public officials, and desórdenes públicos (public disorder) covers rioting that disturbs public peace, including damage to property.
What to watch next
The cases now move to the courts assigned to each investigation. The released suspects must keep appearing before them as required. The TSJC has not said when the investigations are expected to finish or whether more detainees are still due to appear before a judge.
Sources: 20minutos, La Vanguardia
