VIDEO. “It’s racism”: images of a violent arrest of two black men in Spain outrage the country

One of the police officers filmed during the intervention. Capture

The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has decided to open an investigation this Monday, April 1, 2024 following complaints filed by anti-racist organizations.

Spain in shock. A video filmed last Friday, in the Lavapiés district of Madrid, shows two police officers very violently attacking two black men, reports the daily El País. A few days later, the images of this intervention by the police went viral and the Ministry of the Interior decided to open an investigation.

Difficult images

The video broadcast on  X (formerly Twitter) generates millions of views but may offend the sensibilities of some due to the violence of the images. On this one, we see a police officer who is immobilizing a black man on the ground, on the sidewalk of a street, while a second officer comes to strike him several times with a baton. .

Right next door, another black man is standing in front of an iron curtain of a store, when another police officer grabs him by the throat after a few words exchanged (which are impossible to understand) between the two men. The individual still managed to escape, specifies the Huffington Post.

"This is racism"

The video broadcast and widely relayed on social networks caused left-wing parties such as Podemos and the SOS Racismo group to react. "This police violence is unacceptable. And unfortunately – ​​or because of the complicity of institutions – it’s all too common. This is racism", declared the spokesperson for the political party. "This is evidence of how state law enforcement operates in Lavapiés. Violence, attacks, abuse and impunity"' can be read on the Instagram page of the Spanish association.

Law enforcement made the arrest after the two men were described as “hostile” and having carried "undermining authority". According to the Spanish agencyEuropa Press, one of the police officers was injured during the attack. intervention. The two black men were accused of stealing from a convenience store and were in possession of drugs.

The investigations will shed light on this intervention.