Valencia, Spain: The Spanish police union Unió Federal de Policia (UFP) has defended an officer after a teacher was pushed to the ground during a protest in Valencia. The incident happened yesterday and, according to the account described by the union and video shared by protesters, the officer struck the teacher in the back before she fell.
In a post on X, the union said the police action was intended to stop streets being blocked and argued that officers must act quickly, with minimal force, but decisively. The UFP also rejected the announcement by Pilar Bernabé, the Spanish government delegate in the Valencian Country, that an investigation would be opened to determine responsibility.
The union said, in effect, that any responsibility should be decided by a judge, not by the government delegate. It also said it fully supported the officer involved and his actions, adding that people who go out to block streets should expect to be removed from them.
The incident took place during an extraordinary meeting of education unions at the Ministry of Education. Hundreds of teachers gathered outside the ministry, holding a sit-in and forming a human chain as they pressed the administration to negotiate over their concerns.
The assault on the teacher has been condemned by several political parties, including Compromís, ERC and Podem. Videos circulated by union organisations and protesters show a Spanish police officer pushing a woman from behind, causing her to fall violently to the ground. For more Catalonia-wide coverage of public protests and civic disputes, see our news tag.
The investigation announced by Bernabé is expected to proceed, although the UFP disputes her authority to lead it. The outcome of that process, and any later legal action, will determine what happens next for the officer and may shape future protest policing in the region.
