Intervention Units, plainclothes police officers, canine units and drone and anti-drone units... the city of Valencia will be armored against the upcoming celebration of October 9, a festive date but with a high political charge. Up to 1,800 agents from the National Police and the Local Police will be part of the spectacular device planned to guarantee "coexistence and harmony." The Government delegate, the socialist Pilar Bernabé, and the mayor of València, the popular María José Catalá, spoke about all this yesterday at the meeting of the Security Board.
Six years ago (in 2017), the traditional nationalist demonstration in the afternoon ended with insults and serious threats from ultra groups that were tried this past Monday in the City of Justice of Valencia. On the verge of signing the agreement between the parties, a last-minute disagreement left the trial on hold. Despite the tension that could be seen that day at the doors of the courts, the organizers of the march do not believe that this year, the atmosphere will be more tense than on previous occasions.
Although the holding of this trial, together with the change of government in the Generalitat and the possible political tension caused by the polarization around the investiture and the amnesty debate, could lead to fears of a climate of great tension, the feeling is different.
In fact, there is a perception that the end of impunity for these types of violent acts – there are 28 accused who sat in the dock on Monday – has made “some now think before acting,” they explain from Acció Cultural del País Valencià, organizers of the afternoon march.
In fact, they give as an example the visit last Tuesday of the former president of the Generalitat of Catalonia Quim Torrà to a tribute in Valencia. Private security was hired and they were alert due to the constant threats that were made from social networks, but no one came to boycott the event.
Sources from ACPV assure this newspaper that, although “nothing can be ruled out, the trend and atmosphere that exists in the streets is that the most violent extreme right is dying and is marginal.” They add that without being a big change, “Valencian society has changed and, despite the ideological distance, it is no longer so permissive with violent behavior.”
In this sense, they do not expect great conflict on the afternoon of Monday, October 9, since they understand that the violent extreme right has lost steam and groups that were previously very organized around certain soccer teams or private companies are quite deactivated. Their leaders, once capable of rallying large masses, also seem weakened, according to the same sources.
However, the security forces and bodies are preparing, in the words of the Government delegate, Pilar Bernabé, a “device at the highest level” - 1,500 national police officers, 300 local police and members of the Civil Guard to control traffic at the entrances to the city. - to avoid incidents and to allow the celebration of a protest but festive day.
