"Let no one go, we may have to defend our institutions," it ordered them on October 27.
Juan José Fernández
Madrid - Monday, 10/15/2018 | Updated on 01/29/2019 at 17:24 CET
September 21, 2017. A group of firefighters participate in a rally in front of the courts of Barcelona to protest against the arrests of people related to the preparations for the 1-0 referendum attempt. / JORDI COTRINA
"We have already declared independence, but nobody should leave, we do not know what will happen next hours, we may have to defend our institutions," the firefighters section of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) told its associates on Friday, October 27, 2017.
A chat for the organization of mobilizations of firefighters to which has had access EL PERIÓDICO issued this message in the early afternoon. In the Parliament, the independence majority alone had approved a resolution proposal for the constitution of a "Catalan republic as an independent, sovereign, democratic and social state".
It was what the pro-independence firefighters had been calling in code "Festa Major" during the previous week lived with such an expectation by the pro-sovereignty segments. On Wednesday 25, the ANC told its firefighters: “We ask for your PATIENCE (in uppercase in the original message). You will soon receive the Festa Major program in your territorial group”. The same message, sent to their mobiles, added a requirement halfway between the epic and the warlike: "We also ask for your COMMITMENT. Now is the time. We cannot give out"
Three of the messages sent by the Firefighters section of the Catalan National Assembly in October and November of 2017 through their mobilization organization chat / EL PERIÓDICO
Complement of the CDRs
In the autumn of the 'procés' several calls from the ANC to the firefighters indicated that they should combine their actions with the CDRs. On November 8, several hours before the general strike called in Catalonia for the next day, the chat issued, among other instructions, one "to go with the mobile charged, battery, water and food" or, on the phones, "reviewing security measures: password to unlock, empty certain conversations..." But the first one on the list was: "To cooperate with the CDRs".
The Defense Committees of the Republic (CDRs) blocked many roads during that strike. Near Girona, on the N-II, the tension grew between a Mossos patrol and the firefighters when they refused to comply with the request of the patrol to put out straw bales that were burning on the road.
Four months later, after the arrest, on March 25 in Germany, of Carles Puigdemont, the ANC urged the firefighters to "participate in all the actions and calls to be made from the CDRs and pro-sovereignty entities".
In a straight line and in uniform
Numerous firefighters of Catalonia, among which the pro-independence movement has a strong presence, participated in the large mobilizations of the ANC. But their presence was not spontaneous; it was their answer to firm organization codes sent to their mobiles.
As if they were squadrons, the ANC indicated standards of uniformity, points of concentration and provision of troops to form. The entity has refused to comment on these matters.
On October 10, facing the extremely tense session in the Parliament, they were called to go to the Ciutadella of Barcelona "in street clothes", but carrying in their backpacks "the high visibility jacket and the F-2 helmet (...) Jacket and helmet will only be worn if the instruction is given".
On October 3, the ANC told them: "Walk in line to Plaça Tetuan. There the demonstration will turn towards the Parliament taking down Passeig de Sant Joan ... We will gather there to walk down together".
Forest firefighters at the demonstration on November 8, 2017 in Barcelona. The photo is taken with the march passing by the Police Headquarters, on the Via Laietana / MARTÍ FRADERA
The internal rules included numerous orders of encryption for their communications -renovate the passwords of the mobiles and the applications, disconnect the GPS, delete automatic backups, use the application of ephemeral messages Signal ... - as well as another one of censorship: not to speak spontaneously with journalists. "We are in a delicate moment, and we must know what to say, how to say it and whom to say it", they explained.
"Open eyes"
Since the 1-0, when some firefighters interposed between the riot police, the ANC used them as a parallel order service. During the demonstrations, messages such as this one were issued on October 3: "Alert the firefighters who are in Vía Laietana, people are very happy and have already drunk a lot of beer, the bins are full of glass bottles, open your eyes". On other occasions they were told when to "form a cordon line" in front of the security forces.
But they were not only used as a parapet or surveillance service. Also as animators in escraches in front of accommodation venues for the police forces sent by the State for the 1-0. One of them, the one that shows this video, was recorded the night of October 4 by civil guards housed in a hotel in La Seu d'Urgell (Lleida). The firefighters had placed their trucks and official cars at the entrance and exit of the street where the hotel was located, preventing the exit or access of police vehicles.
On October 4, 2017, the firefighters of La Seu dUrgell led a night escrache against the civil guards housed in a hotel in the town. This video was recorded by one of the agents from inside the hotel. / J.F.
On October 3, and further south, in another of these actions against the state security forces, the ANC warned: "The firefighters who will go to the demonstration called this afternoon at the Pineda hotel where the Civil Guard is, keep your EYES WELL OPEN. There are undercover agents there; they seek altercations". This message was issued at four in the afternoon. Two hours later, this one: "Call to all firefighters who are in the area of Pineda: the comrades who are there are asking for REINFORCEMENTS. The atmosphere is getting very hot".
The command of the riot police sent by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior to Catalonia studied the movements and the potential of these firefighters in the demonstrations, according to police sources. They were worried about the possible use of foam from their fire extinguishers, making the road very slippery for a police charge, or that they would put burning objects between the police and the demonstrators, these sources recount.
Boycotts
The independence firefighters were called to demonstrate not on their own and at the time they chose, but according to a specific canon and schedule. "Remember that our function, wherever it is needed, will ALWAYS be that of citizens' peacekeepers and detectors of possible generators of altercations. We will make use of our charter of silence and hands in the air that has worked so well for us", they were instructed on October 10th. Despite the fact that the first places of public ownership in which they displayed Catalan flags were several fire stations in Girona, in that same message they were forbidden to take to the demonstration "flags of any type".
With similar rigor, firefighters were instructed to participate in other types of mobilizations. On October 19, 2017 and on March 8, 2018, the ANC called them to what it named as "Peaceful Direct Action Number 1", whereby they would have to take money from their current accounts in any of the "five major banks". In the March action, as indicated through the chat, the firefighters should not get less than 110 euros. This amount was a symbol "to remember the day when our people showed their strength: 1-0".
The indications not only compromised private behaviors and resources; also public goods. On February 25, 2018, during a visit of the King to Barcelona, the pro-independence firefighters were called to "receive Felipe VI with noise for being the highest responsible for the repression of October 1". Time set, 9:00 p.m. And just to be heard, this instruction: "If you are on duty in the park, sound the sirens of the truck".
https://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20181015/anc-bomberos-cdr-7088577
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