Several officers from the Etxebarri Local Police were injured in the early hours of Sunday morning in the festive area of the Kukullaga neighborhood, during the San Antonio patron saint festivities. The incidents began when a crowd started to assault the officers, prompting the request for assistance from the Ertzaintza (Basque Police). Upon the arrival of more personnel, a second arrest was made for the same offense.
The situation escalated when a group of approximately 100 people began throwing glass bottles at the officers, injuring one of them on the head. The ErNE union highlighted that the officers' "professionalism" and "commitment" "prevented the situation from escalating to even more serious consequences."
“"We are not going to normalize that every police action in certain contexts ends with officers injured, harassed, or singled out."
The union called for a "clear, forceful, and unambiguous response against those who consider it acceptable to turn police officers into targets for their frustrations." "We are not going to normalize that every police action in certain contexts ends with officers injured, harassed, or singled out," they stated.
The Security Department of the Basque Government has condemned and denounced that the actions of local police and the Ertzaintza to "maintain order and coexistence" are met with opposition from "some citizens." It also expressed its support for the injured officer and for the local police officers of Etxebarri and the Ertzaintza who were involved in "restoring order and coexistence in Etxebarri."
