THE STORY OF 4th FEB

In the early hours of Saturday, 4th February, on the streets of Barcelona, the police arbitrarily and violently arrested 9 people. Three of them remain on remand in Barcelona prisons. Two, Rodrigo Lanza and Alex Cisternas, are charged with attempted murder and the third, Juan Pintos, with conspiracy against the authorities.

Rodrigo, Alex and Juan left the home of some friends along with a group of others around 6am on Saturday 4th February after a night of partying. When they arrived at the street Sant Pere mes Baix they came face to face with a city police vehicle, parked outside the “teatro de la Anarko Penya Cultural” (an illegal club under the guise of a squatted social centre but without any connection to the wider squatter movement). Until this moment, the street appeared calm and the police appeared to be turning a blind eye to the illegal activites in Anarko Penya. The young people tried to enter the building but were refused entry by the people inside. When they tried to leave, the police blocked their way and instructed them to leave by a different route. When they tried to dispute this, a heated argument ensued during which they were subjected to racial abuse by the officers. As things got more heated, the police started to beat them. Three of them were beaten so brutally that they ended up on the ground at which point one officer instructed another to arrest them. By the end of the incident, nine young people had been arrested and one police officer was unconscious on the ground. The officer was moved to hospital where he remained in a coma.

THE THREE STORIES OF HOW THE POLICEMAN GOT KNOCKED OUT

The story of what hit this officer has changed twice, apparently to fit with the charges against Rodrigo and Alex. The story initially, as reported to the media by Barcelona Mayor Joan Clos, was that he had been hit by a flower pot thrown from a balcony of Anarko Penya. 16 hours later, the police issued a new version of events in which the officer could have been hit by any object thrown from the building. The following day, a police spokesman claimed that the officer had been hit by a stone thrown from the streets by three detained young men. This has remained the official version of events. Clearly, if the first version of events is true, then it is impossible for Rodrigo, Juan and Alex to be the perpetrators, since they were never in the building. It appears that the story changed in order to fit the arrests that were made.

SECRECY, TORTURE AND ABUSE

Rodrigo, Alex and Juan were initially held incommunicado while Rodrigo’s mother frantically searched the city’s police stations for her son. She eventually had to hire a lawyer and get a Habeas Corpus in order to get information as to where her son was detained and on what charge. When the three appeared in court, their clothes were drenched with blood. Reports indicate that all three displayed bruising to the face and arms, one had head injuries and one had both arms broken. Two have received hospital treatment since being detained, but were told by police officers as they ewnt in that if they told anyone where they got their injuries, the officers would wait outside for them and kill them.

DUBIOUS GROUNDS FOR DETENTION ON REMAND

Along with the confusion surrounding this case and lack of evidence against Rodrigo, Alex and Juan, the reasons given for their detention on remand are highly suspect. The reason the judge gave was that all three are of Latin American origin and therefore could flee to their countries of origin. The fact is that, while all three have Latin American origins, two have Spanish and one has Italian citizenship, and all three have strong connections in Spain. Rodrigo’s parents live in Milan and he lives with his siblings in Barcelona, and studies at Barcelona University in the History department. Alex is married to a Spanish woman and also studied in Barcelona at the International School of Cinema. Juan is Spanish and lives in Barcelona with his sister. It appears that their Latin American appearance led police to assume that they would be easy targets, perhaps with a difficult legal position in the country. They were wrong, however, and there are no reasons for their ongoing detention.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Benefit night: ska DJs and fun at the Common Place, Leeds Friday March 10th 6pm onwards. All proceeds to the Feb 4 and Feb 9 prisoners

Protest:
Take a fax printout and send it as part of an international fax action

More information:  presos4febrero@yahoo.es (maybe Spanish only) or
Emma:  rebelgirl@riseup.net for information in English

Write to the prisoners:

RODRIGO ANDRES LANZA HUIDOBRO
C.P. Jovenes
C/ Padre Manjon 2
08033 BARCELONA
SPAIN

JUAN PINTO GARIDO
C.P. Jovenes
C/ Padre Manjon 2
08033 BARCELONA
SPAIN

ALEX RUBEN CISTERNAS AMESTICA
Apartado de Correos 20
C.P. La Modelo
08080 BARCELONA
SPAIN