An association known as Unión de Brigadas systematically removes and vandalises pro-independence symbols, including Estelades and murals, from public spaces across Catalonia. This group, active particularly in the Barcelona metropolitan area, recently targeted a long-standing independence mural at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) just two days after students repainted it.
The mural in the UAB's Plaça Cívica had welcomed students for 13 years before the university rectorate erased it by judicial order during Easter. The Sindicat d'Estudiants dels Països Catalans (SEPC) repainted the mural two weeks ago. Unión de Brigadas then removed it within 48 hours. David Cosculluela, spokesperson for Unión de Brigadas, stated the group started acting in August 2018. He said this followed "the aggression against a woman removing ribbons in Ciutadella Park" in Barcelona.
Unión de Brigadas formed less than a year after the 1 October 2017 independence referendum. At that time, pro-independence groups displayed yellow ribbons to demand the release of political prisoners. The group claims its purpose is to "sustain the neutrality of public spaces" and provides "legal and logistical support" to its brigades. Members typically operate at dawn, wearing balaclavas to avoid identification. They use long poles to remove hoisted Estelades or spray paint to cover murals.
Operating Under Anonymity
Mr Cosculluela explained the need for anonymity, citing "death threats, people called at work, [and] CDRs came to homes." He added that members act at night "to avoid disturbances or provocations," preferring direct action over slower administrative processes. The association rents vehicles to further protect its members' identities. Mr Cosculluela, who was number three on Vox's electoral lists for Barcelona in 2023, maintains the association is politically diverse within the broader Spanish nationalist movement. He noted their close ties with other groups like Impulso Ciudadano and S'ha Acabat. The group funds its activities through anonymous donations.
Municipalities Respond to Vandalism
Unión de Brigadas operates "various times per week" with over 30 collaborators, according to Mr Cosculluela. He stated the group has faced around 40 complaints, with only one conviction for damages in Ripoll. In response to the frequent removals, several municipalities have started installing metal Estelades. Salvador Coll, Mayor of Cornellà del Terri and President of the Associació de Municipis per la Independència (AMI), confirmed this strategy. He explained that "cloth ones are very easy to remove." In Tàrrega, metal flags stand 12 metres high. However, the brigades have developed a system using poles with paint to disfigure these metal symbols.
Police and Judicial Challenges
Mayor Coll criticised the perceived impunity of these groups. He stated, "All the complaints filed with the Mossos are archived because they say they do not attack constitutional symbols, but they do damage urban furniture such as the poles where the flags are or the municipal signs." Sources from the Mossos d'Esquadra confirmed that damaging urban furniture is reportable. However, they clarified that simply removing Estelades "is not considered violent extremism or a hate crime." Police can "identify them" and open proceedings if aggressions or coercion occur, as happened in Verges.
Ongoing Conflict and Replacements
Meritxell Budó, Mayor of La Garriga and President of the Associació Catalana de Municipis (ACM), also reported that their complaints did not progress. She said the municipality's policy is to "replace the Estelades every time they are stolen." Mayor Budó described the perpetrators as "cowards who act at night and covered up, who don't dare in the daytime." She vowed, "They will keep taking it down at night and we will put it up during the day." Marc Buch, Mayor of Calella, echoed this sentiment. He noted that vandalism of the Estelada in Plaça de Catalunya happens "so often that it's nothing special." Calella does not file complaints due to the lack of judicial progress.
Persistence of Symbols
Despite the repeated attacks, municipalities remain determined to restore the symbols. The UAB mural has been repainted again. Amadeu Rossell, Mayor of Llanars, confirmed his town's commitment. He said, "Of course we will put it back, that's what we do every time they take them down." Pol Barnils, Mayor of Seva, reported that the Estelada at the town's entrance is removed "two or three times a year" and consistently replaced. In 2023, Impulso Ciudadano successfully secured a judicial order to remove an Estelada from Seva Town Hall's facade. However, another on a side facade remains. The brigades sometimes post old videos as current ones to create an impression of constant activity. Jaume Casals, Mayor of Navàs, noted this tactic. He said, "Since the Diada, there has been a red Estelada and in the video you see them tearing down a blue one." This ongoing cycle of removal and replacement highlights the persistent political tensions surrounding Catalan independence symbols in public spaces.
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Originally published by Ara Cat. Read original article.
