According to local newspaper “La Vanguardia” Oleguer Presas has been formally accused of throwing stones at the police. The incident took place on the 27th Sept 2003 when police closed the Bemba bar in Sabadell. Many youngsters tried to defend the bar and during the altercations 11 people including Oleguer were arrested.
Seven policemen were hurt in the operation, and police used plastic bullets to disperse the crowd. If found guilty the sentence for Oleguer could be as high as three years in prison. As it is his first offence it is unlikely that he will recieve such a sentence. Moreover, in Spain if the sentence is under two years and it is a first offence, the sentence automatically becomes suspended and offender does not go to prison.
Oleguer has often caused controversy with his comments on political issues. I feel everyone has a right to say what they think and Oleguer is often targeted by the right wing Spanish press for his opinions. I don’t imagine there is really any chance of him going to prison, we’ll just have to hope the judge isn’t a Madridista!
2 responses so far ↓
Nick Lloyd // Sep 7, 2007 at 20:38
I find much of the extreme nationalist opinions of people like Oleguer frankly difficult to take, but as you say eveyone has a right to say what they think. At times in Aznar’s Spain of 2003 when this incident took place one felt that was not always guaranteed. Do we know was the bar being closed?
joan amenos // Sep 11, 2007 at 23:12
Hi, Nick Lloyd:
1. Yes, I think that the bar was closed. But, let me explain any more. The cause was not the different ideas of the owner or the attendants. The neighbours were very angry with that bar. There were different problems with noise in the bar and on the street.
The City Council said too that the owner hadn’t license for playing music in the bar. But they made work one powerful turntable.
There are a lot of bars and music bars in the same situation. Perhaps you know a similar case in your neighbourhood. But the question of Bemba was different.
2. Sabadell is an important city near Barcelona. A big group of extrem left activists live and work there. Currently, they are peaceful, but three or four years ago, they started a special fight against the Mayor, Mr. Bustos. Mr. Bustos won the elections, but after he showed an authoritarian form of government.
3. Leftist groups met every week-end in Bemba bar. They thought that the problem was not the noise, but their meetings. For them, Bemba was a symbol. Actually, there are other conflicts between the extremist groups and the City Council in Sabadell. For example, the terrible crimes of nazi groups in the city, the activism of squatters, etc. So, the accusation against Oleguer is the last chapter in this long novel. But, it’s not a problem about freedom of speech.
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