Officers of Spain's paramilitary force the Civil Guard have carried out ID checks on all seventy members of a Catalan human tower group who were mounting towers as a symbolic protest near a Madrid prison. The group Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls had travelled to Madrid on Saturday in order to make a symbolic protest through their traditional castells - human towers - to demand freedom for the nine Catalan political prisoners being held in three separate Madrid jails.
Outside the Soto del Real prison, Civil Guard agents asked the members of the human tower group to show identification. The officers also "called a roll" of the group members when they reboarded their bus in order to ensure that all group members left the area again.
The castellers group, from the southern Catalan town of Valls, had first visited the prison of Alcalá-Meco, before continuing to Soto del Real and Estremera. It was on their second stop, at Soto del Real, where pro-independence civil leaders Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart are held, that the Spanish paramilitary officers made their ID checks. Saturday marks the completion of eight months since these two leaders were sent to jail on remand by a Spanish judge.
Today, in motive of 8 months that @jcuixart and @jordialapreso bring imprisoned unfairly, we have raised pillars in front of the prisons of Alcalà Meco, Soto of the Real one and Estremera, in recognition towards the political prisoners. #Castellers #NoAfluixeu #LlibertatPresosPolítics pic.twitter.com/Qdsw9DE7KT
— Old group (@collavella) 16 of junio of 2018
Translation: Today, to mark 8 months since @jcuixart and @jordialapreso have been unjustly imprisoned, we have mounted pillars of liberty outside the prisons of Alcalà Meco, Soto del Real and Estremera, in recognition of the political prisoners. #Castellers #StayStrong
Let's bring the revindication of the freedom to prisons! This morning we have arrived to Alcalá-Meco and to Soto of the Real one to raise pillars of freedom with the @collavella. Now we go to Estremera. You have us nearby, you do not lose spirit. We will not make it! #RepúblicaÉsLlibertat pic.twitter.com/4qhAjZ9DD2
— National assembly (@assemblea) 16 of junio of 2018
Translation: Let's take the call for freedom to the prisons! This morning we have arrived at Alcalá-Meco and Soto del Real prisons to mount pillars of liberty with the @collavella group. Now we continue to Estremera prison. We are here very close to you, don't lose heart. We won't! - Catalan National Assembly.
The two major pro-independence civil groups, ANC and Òmnium, called protests all over Catalonia on Saturday afternoon to demand the freedom of the political prisoners.