Two people have been arrested and several officers from the Ertzaintza (Basque police) and local police were injured during a large-scale brawl at the San Antonio festivals in Etxebarri. Approximately 100 individuals were involved in the altercations, with one officer requiring hospitalization after being struck on the head by a glass bottle.
This incident follows a warning from the Security Councillor, Bingen Zupiria, who had expressed concerns about a potentially 'heated' summer during festivals across Basque Country due to tensions between youth movements. However, the initial motive for the Etxebarri fight does not appear to be politically related.
The disturbances occurred within the festival grounds in the Kukullaga neighborhood, as reported by the Department of Security. Around 4 AM, local police requested backup from the Ertzaintza after officers were assaulted by a large group of people following the arrest of a young man for assaulting a public official. According to other sources, one police officer sustained multiple punches to the face and kicks.
Initially, patrols from the nearby Ibaizabal station arrived on the scene. Ertzaintza officers attempted to form a 'police cordon' to prevent further assaults on their colleagues during the arrest. The arrested individual's brother reportedly tried to prevent the capture, hitting the local police car and verbally abusing the officers. One officer was 'cornered' by a group, prompting Ertzaintza patrols to intervene to prevent him from being beaten. The brother, aged 19, also threw punches at an officer and was subsequently arrested for assaulting a public official.
At this point, approximately 100 people in the festival area began throwing glass bottles at the police. One of these projectiles hit an ertzaina on the head, necessitating his transfer to the hospital.
The severity of the incidents led to a request for support from the Mobile Brigade. Riot police from the Basque force assisted in controlling the situation around 6 AM.
The two individuals arrested were released with charges this morning, pending a court summons. The Esan union has called on institutions and political representatives for a 'public, clear, and unequivocal' condemnation of the assaults on police officers.
