During the riots against the “Procés” ruling in October 2019, protesters threw bottles and a rocket at the Mossos. Albert Garcia
An agent of the Mossos d’Esquadra, who was in the helicopter against which the defendant, who responds to the acronym FLG, allegedly fired two pyrotechnic missiles during a protest in Barcelona in 2019 for the sentencing of the Procés, has this Monday assured that if this had been the case it could lead to a serious incident. The witness, who was the helicopter’s system operator, in the trial that began this Monday in the fifth section of the Barcelona court, claimed that if a firework “had entered through one of the windows, it could have been, in my opinion, dangerous, serious”.
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Prosecutors are demanding nine and a half years in prison for FLG, which they have accused of firing two rockets at a low-flying Mossos d’Esquadra helicopter using a plastic tube. The rockets that detonated near the device during a demonstration on October 16, 2019 against the Procés sentence imposed by the self-proclaimed Committees for Defense of the Republic (CDR). Specifically, the prosecutor is asking the accused, who will testify at the second session of the trial scheduled for November 15, after his defense asked him to do so, to five years for disturbing public order and four and a half years for assaulting an employee of the authority with injuries.
For his part, the Generalitat’s lawyer, who is acting as a private prosecutor in the case, is asking for two years in prison for the accused, while the FLG’s defense is asking for his acquittal. Mosso has testified that he was only aware of one detonation near the aircraft, although in his previous testimony during the investigation phase he claimed to have heard up to five explosions. “I heard a detonation,” the officer confirmed, noting that after the firecracker exploded, the helicopter “made a movement, I assume it was the pilot’s reaction.”
The witness has defended that he saw the “deflagration right to the side” where he was and that for safety reasons they decided to fly higher, although staying in the same spot. For his part, the helicopter’s co-pilot testified that he heard at least one detonation, although he does not rule out that more could have happened, and that, contrary to what his crew member said, they left the place where the shots were fired were fired from rockets for safety reasons.
The events took place on October 16, 2019 at a pro-independence demonstration in Barcelona, during which riots broke out around the government delegation and also the headquarters of the Interior Ministry, where the protesters set up barricades, the State Ministry reports. According to the prosecutor’s brief, the defendant fired a first firecracker into the sky at around 9:15 p.m. and an hour later, on Gran Via Bruc Street, the defendant fired two more rockets when he realized that a police helicopter, events that a Mossos Crew witnessed.
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The alleged perpetrator, wearing a black helmet, went to Casp street towards Passeig de Gràcia and there he took off a yellow handkerchief with pro-independence symbols covering his face and started to run when he saw that a Mossos Agent d’Esquadra was in pursuit. Police managed to apprehend him, according to the state ministry. Prosecutors say the defendant and the agent are believed to have had a fight, although neither the Mosso nor another colleague assisting him eventually apprehend the alleged perpetrator, despite screams uttered by the FLG to attract the attention of other protesters could . “Very aggressive in posture” they were surrounded, they reported. The alleged perpetrator was arrested at his home two days later, where, after an entry and search, Catalan police found the helmet and scarf he was wearing. In addition to the accused, the testimony of the helicopter pilot is planned for the next negotiation session.
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