Spain’s anti-violence commission weighs fining FC Barcelona 60,000 euros for booing the King and the Spanish anthem

Spain’s anti-violence commission is set to fine FC Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, the Spanish Football Federation, and several Catalan separatist groups for booing Spain’s King Philip VI and drowning out the Spanish national anthem by whistling during the Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao at Barcelona’s Camp Nou last May. The anti-violence commission announced these administrative procedures Monday; they have not yet become sanctions.

FC Barcelona faces a 66,000 euro-fine for having done nothing to prevent the whistling; and Athletic Bilbao may be fined 18,000 euros. As the organizer of the match, the Spanish Football Federation stands to be dealt the largest fine: 123,000 euros.
As for the separatist groups, Catalunya Acció would receive the heftiest sanction, 100,000 euros, for being, according to the commission, the ‘instigators of the action and the ones who encouraged its adoption by distributing whistles’. In addition, Santiago Espot, president of Catalunya Acció, could be fined 90,000 euros for his ‘personal involvement and participation, undertaken in parallel and separately from the group he is the president of’.

As for the rest of the signatories of the ‘Manifesto in support of whistling to protest the Spanish national anthem and the presence of King Philip of Bourbon’, the commission proposes that each pay a 70,000-euro fine. The signatories include Sobirania i Progrés; Plataforma pel Dret de Decidir; the union CADCI; International Commission of European Citizens; Fundació President Macià; Ara o Mai!; Catalunya diu Prou; Casal per la Llibertat i la Independència de Catalunya; Societat Catalana de Lliure Opinió; Moviment de Cultura Popular El Sotrac; and Units per Declarar la Independència de Catalunya.