The co-spokesperson of Podemos, Pablo Fernández, has demanded the resignation of the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, following the "police brutality" that, in his opinion, an agent exercised against a teacher during the protests in defense of public education held in Valencia.
Furthermore, he has indicated that the Government delegate in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé, should also leave her post if the "brute," referring to the same police officer involved in the alleged assault, is not ultimately expelled from the force.
Fernández made these remarks at a press conference held this Monday, where he addressed the controversy generated by these events. Following the incident, the National Police has initiated the procedure to open a disciplinary file against the agent. In parallel, the affected woman has filed a complaint about what happened.
The Podemos leader has stressed that the images disseminated about the police intervention in Valencia are an "authentic disgrace" and has considered it "lamentable" that Bernabé limits herself to stating that an investigation will be carried out, when the video is, in his words, "very revealing" of what happened.
"There is nothing to investigate, what needs to happen is for responsibilities to be immediately clarified. The one who perpetrated this assault yesterday on the retired teacher in Valencia must be immediately expelled from the National Police. Otherwise, Pilar Bernabé should resign and, of course, the one who must resign is the highest responsible person in the Ministry of the Interior who has been superfluous in this Government for a long time, who should never have been in a progressive Government," he emphasized.
The 'purple' spokesperson has described as "indecent" and an "authentic disgrace" that these types of actions occur within the State Security Forces and Corps, and has also lashed out at the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, for keeping Marlaska in charge of the Interior.
Likewise, he has defined as "execrable" and "vile" the statement of police unions such as CEP and has warned that "the most dangerous fascism is that which is embedded in the state apparatus."
Sumar demands that responsibilities be assumed
In parallel, the leader of Más Madrid, Eduardo Fernández Rubiño, has welcomed in a joint appearance of the Sumar forces that a file has been opened against this police officer, following an action he has described as "so lamentable."
At the same time, he has criticized that it is "striking" that a police response "so different" has become commonplace depending on the ideology of those demonstrating, especially when it comes to people with progressive positions. Therefore, he has called for the investigation to proceed to the end and for all necessary responsibilities to be assumed.
For his part, the leader of IU and spokesperson for Sumar in the Interior Commission of Congress, Enrique Santiago, has stated on social networks that the "brutal action of the agent was not adequate" and that he "used disproportionate force."
"Neither congruence, nor opportunity, nor proportionality," he reiterated, to then argue that the "Police need democratic unions committed to citizenship and professionalism."