Big protest in Barcelona against Spanish judge in charge of 2017 Catalan referendum

Manuel Marchena’s controversial visit to the Barcelona Bar Association has sparked protests and scenes of tension outside the building located on Carrer de Mallorca in Barcelona. Protesters convened by the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), Òmnium and several other civil rights organizations have gathered since 4 pm to express their refusal towards the Spanish judge in charge of the trial against those who were held responsible of the 2017 Catalan independence referendum.

Tension in the street started when two people displayed a Spanish flag. Catalan police officers made them go inside the building and built a police cordon to allow attendees to enter. However, protesters kept shouting “No lesson from the oppressor” or “Marchena go to jail”, which could be heard from the conference room. The judge will give a talk about “Artificial intelligence and criminal law”.

The magistrate has been invited by the president of the criminal law section of the entity, Miguel Capuz, who together with the lawyer Clara Martínez presented and moderated the event. Capuz was already the protagonist of an episode of similar characteristics two years ago when he accompanied and applauded the prosecutor Javier Zaragoza in an act that – like today – also provoked a lot of controversy among the members of the entity.