Clashes between police and education protestors in Madrid lead to arrests, foreign national who broke pillar at Granada’s Alhambra while doing parkour identified, and more news from Spain on Thursday October 15th.
Police charge education protestors in Madrid
Spanish police on Wednesday charged demonstrators at a student picket line at Madrid’s Complutense University during a strike in defence of public education.
Police representatives state the offensive took place after students attempted to break through a police cordon and carried out two attacks on police, resulting in one officer being injured.
Four protesters have been arrested, according to police sources.
On Thursday morning Complutense demanded an explanation for the police crackdown during the strike, and the government has promised to investigate what happened.
Foreign national who broke pillar at Granada’s Alhambra identified
A man who in late-August knocked down a pillar at the Alhambra whilst practising parkour has been identified.
The alleged perpetrator is a Slovak national who has been fully identified through Interpol, but whose whereabouts remain unknown, according to police sources speaking to Europa Press.
It will now be up to a judge to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant.
According to reports on August 28th, a group of five youths trespassed into a highly protected, restricted archaeological zone known as the Casa del Muftí (Mufti’s House), located near the Palace of Charles V.
They spend a quarter of an hour filming themselves executing acrobatic vaults and parkour stunts. During a failed manoeuvre, one of the so-called ‘traceurs’ dislodged and completely smashed an ancient pillar.
The group managed to flee before they could be apprehended. Architectural damage to the pillar is said to amount to €12,000.
Galicia bolsters teacher protection rules
The Galician government has updated regulations on behaviour in schools by introducing tougher penalties to protect teachers.
Assaults by parents, legal guardians or pupils may result in fines of up to €15,000, as well as expulsion from the school.
Penalties will depend on the severity of the offence and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. In the words of the Regional Minister for the Presidency, Diego Calvo, the aim is to “respond to new forms of conflict” arising in the classroom.
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Police officers arrested in Asturian drug smuggling sting
Two Spanish police officers are among those arrested in the northern region of Asturias in a drug smuggling ring.
As reported by El Comercio, one was stationed at Asturias Airport and the other in Galicia.
The first was arrested on Monday by members of Spain’s Internal Affairs Unit from Madrid.
They reportedly searched his locker at the airport before taking him to the holding cells at the Asturias Police Headquarters in Oviedo, where the other detainees are being held.
