During the unrest this Friday in Barcelona, an officer of the Spanish National Police Corps has hit an El Nacional photojournalist, Sergi Alcàzar, whilst he was working. The video below clearly shows the agents threatening journalists and telling them to move away whilst they are trying to cover the police's actions. As Alcàzar follows their instructions, clearly carrying his camera and wearing a reflective orange press jacket, one of the officers hits him regardless.
At one of the other scenes of disturbance this evening, the Spanish police went further and arrested another photojournalist, reportedly Albert Garcia, working for El País. Similarly identified by a press armband, he was accused of hitting an officer, which he denies.
The police hit Garcia repeatedly to bring him to the floor before handcuffing him, and leading him away doubled over to a nearby police station.
El fotògraf del @elpaiscatalunya Albert Garcia estava fotografiant aquesta altra detenció a la Plaça Urquinaona. Els policies han cridat: "la cámara" veient que estaven envoltats de periodistes. Després l'han arrestat acusant-lo d'empentar un agent. Ell ho nega. pic.twitter.com/n9pcMiOUbE
— Anna Punsí (@punsix) October 18, 2019
Meanwhile in Tarragona, the Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia's police force, were reported to have detained local photographer Lluc Queralt after he had photographed them making an arrest. Also wearing a press armband, he was nonetheless put into a police van where they searched him and took his camera for some time. Eventually he was released.
Els @mossos han retingut el fotògraf tarragoní Lluc Queralt després que fes una foto d'una detenció. Queralt anava amb l'armilla de premsa però els agents l'han pujat a la furgona, l'han registrat i li han pres inicialment la càmera. Finalment l'han deixat anar @periodistes_cat
— Porta Enrere (@PortaEnrere) October 18, 2019