Ombudsman asks for police violence probe in Barcelona
Catalan interior chief, who ordered clearance of protest square, now urged to launch investigation
Images of Catalan police attacking protesters at Barcelona's Plaza de Catalunya on May 27 show there were officers who used excessive physical force, according to the regional ombudsman.
In an 18-page report published on Monday, Rafael Ribó says the commissioner for internal affairs, Felipe Puig - who ordered the square to be cleared when protesters tried to stop politicians entering the regional assembly - should investigate and sanction guilty officers.
We cannot accept, as the internal affairs chief said, that the assaults should be considered 'a few small incidents'," wrote Ribó, who received 391 complaints over police behavior that day.
A total of 121 people were wounded in the raid, including 37 police officers.
