A Barcelona court acquitted two Greenpeace activists of attacking and injuring three Guàrdia Urbana officers with speedboats during a 2021 protest. The court cleared them of all charges, including assault against authority with a dangerous instrument, with the judge citing “more than reasonable doubt about what really happened.”

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The incident occurred on 18 June 2021 in the waters off the city’s iconic W Barcelona hotel. Activists staged a protest to coincide with a conference by the influential Cercle d’Economia business group, attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. From their boats, the environmental group unfurled a banner with the message: “Sánchez, we are watching you. Green and just recovery.”

Prosecutors had sought six-year prison sentences for each activist and a joint compensation payment of almost €20,000. They alleged that a Guàrdia Urbana maritime patrol approached to move the protestors, and the activists deliberately tried to ram the police vessel. This action, they claimed, led to a chase and injuries to three officers.

‘Reasonable Doubt’ Central to Acquittal

In its ruling, the court found the police account lacking sufficient evidence. The judge concluded there was no definitive proof that the activists attempted to ram the police boat with abrupt manoeuvres, which was a key part of the officers’ testimony. According to the news report from VilaWeb, the sentence stated video evidence clearly showed the event was a protest action, not an assault.

The court noted that one boat was flying a protest kite while the other, which also carried journalists, focused on documenting the demonstration. The judge determined the police’s primary objective was to identify the activists, noting that officers had already made radio contact with one of the boat’s skippers before the pursuit began.

The judgment also pointed to an “excess of zeal” by the police. It highlighted that images submitted as evidence did not show the use of formal acoustic warning signals from the police boat, apart from a single whistle.

Police Conduct and Evidence Questioned

The court’s decision also scrutinised several procedural and evidential shortcomings in the prosecution’s case. A defence expert successfully questioned the version of events provided by the police. Furthermore, the court did not receive the police vessel’s nautical chart, which would have documented its trajectory during the incident.

The ruling also mentioned the officers’ footwear, which agents had previously reported as inadequate to the Ajuntament de Barcelona (Barcelona City Council), potentially calling into question the stability of the officers on their vessel.

Testimony from two other agents observing from Somorrostro beach on a quad bike was deemed unreliable. The judge suggested their view from approximately 200 metres away, as the boats operated beyond the regulatory buoys, could have been distorted.

Greenpeace Hails Vindication of Protest Rights

In a statement following the verdict, Greenpeace celebrated the end of a lengthy legal battle that “should never have started.” The environmental organisation asserted the court’s decision was a clear defence of fundamental freedoms.

“Justice has been clear: the right to protest is the basis of freedom,” the statement read. This acquittal marks a significant moment for activist groups in Barcelona, a city with a vibrant history of public demonstration, from large-scale actions like the recent major housing protest to more targeted demonstrations, such as the one held by naked activists demanding a ban on fur farms.

Effectively, the ruling dismantles the serious charges brought against the activists. This reinforces the high burden of proof required to convict individuals engaged in acts of civil disobedience, even when such actions result in confrontation with law enforcement.