Pro-independence groups across Catalonia are installing metal versions of the 'estelada' flag in public spaces, according to the Unión de Brigadas, a citizen group that removes such symbols. This new tactic aims to prevent the flags from being taken down by volunteer cleaning brigades.
For nearly a decade, around 30 individuals organised into seven self-organised groups have been removing flags and symbols deemed incompatible with the Spanish Constitution and the Catalan Statute of Autonomy. These include 'estelades' and other secessionist references. The Unión de Brigadas, the only legally constituted entity performing this work, states that their actions have led to a decrease in these symbols in public areas.
David Cosculluela, a spokesperson for the Unión de Brigadas, told ABC that the group's members initially met through social media. They acted independently, removing yellow ribbons from public parks in Barcelona and flags from lampposts in towns like Cardona and El Masnou, as well as partisan posters from public buildings. Forming a legal association, registered with the Ministry of the Interior, provided them with better protection, particularly against legal complaints.
Legal Challenges and Absolutions
Cosculluela, an economist who was on Vox's electoral list for Barcelona City Council in 2023, clarified that the association is not linked to any political party. He stated that its funding comes solely from online donations. "We are not affiliated with any party. The entity includes people who vote for different parties. The only thing that unites us is that we want town halls not to be party headquarters, that a roundabout is not a propaganda billboard, and that an institution cannot become a showcase for political sectarianism," Cosculluela said. He added that many members are "anonymous heroes who live in towns where disagreeing with separatism has a social, professional, and family cost."
The Unión de Brigadas operates systematically. They identify 'estelades', yellow ribbons, or other independence symbols in public areas, such as parks, schools, roundabouts, or town hall balconies. They geolocate these items on an interactive map, organise an operation, choose a day, and remove them in the early morning. The group currently has about 2,000 targets.
When asked what they do with the removed material, Cosculluela responded ironically, "We recycle it." The group's activities have drawn criticism from prominent independence figures, including former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who recently accused them of being part of the "Spanish Inquisition" and previously called them a "criminal group" acting like terrorists.
Escalation with Metal Flags
Between 1 January 2025 and mid-February 2026, the Unión de Brigadas removed 900 'estelades', according to their records. A video showing many of these flags laid out in an agricultural field, filmed with a drone outside Catalonia, angered Puigdemont. "It would be impossible to do it in our community. But don't look for them. We have recycled them," Cosculluela insisted.
The group maintains that their actions are legal. Cosculluela noted that many complaints against them have not succeeded because "to sustain many of them, the administration would have to recognise the ownership or protection of the partisan symbolism installed in public spaces" without legal permission. He stated they have only been convicted when there was considered to be accessory material damage, such as to a flagpole element.
In response to the brigades' actions, several municipalities have started installing metal 'estelades'. These are more difficult for the Unión de Brigadas to remove. For now, the group's members are painting over the metal flags. According to the collective, there are at least three such metal 'estelades' in Llinars del Vallès, Barcelona, and one in each of the following municipalities: Sant Celoni, Santa María de Palautordera, Melianta, Amer, Tàrrega, Porqueres, and Cornellà del Terri. "We have located all of them," Cosculluela confirmed.
Symbols Near Schools and Public Spaces
Beyond flags, the group also removes partisan symbols displayed near schools and children's parks, and from road signs at municipal entrances. They have documented 200 videos showing what they describe as the "political use of minors by separatism" near schools and playgrounds. The Unión de Brigadas accuses municipal authorities of allowing a secessionist narrative to be introduced to children and teenagers, stating that officials "look the other way without acting or assuming responsibility."
The underlying issue, according to the group, is the lack of institutional neutrality in public spaces. The partisan use of public areas, often by municipal authorities, contradicts Law 39/1981, which regulates the use of the Spanish flag and other flags. Multiple Supreme Court rulings have also clarified that the use of unofficial flags and partisan symbols on public buildings and spaces is incompatible with the duty of neutrality and objectivity of public administrations.
