Spain: Protesting firefighters clash with police in Ourense
A can’t-believe-your-eyes video has emerged from a protest in Spain when striking firefighters used what looked like a flamethrower against police.
In the high temperature scenes outside the local council house in Ourense, Galicia, scores of regional park firefighters clashed with cops as they tried to enter the building.
According to reports the blue-on-blue battle saw some elements hurl smoke cannisters, flares and even at one moment use some sort of flamethrower.
As this video shows a great plume of flames can be seen erupting over the top of the crowd as police in full riot gear try to push back the firefighters, who are also in helmets and uniforms.
In the footage from Spanish broadcaster RTVE Noticias the emergency service workers who usually work together are engaged in shockingly violent scenes that unfolded last Friday.
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Spanish news site 20Minutos said the local police union said: “Firefighters from the Provincial Council of Ourense tried to enter, and when we prevented them from doing so, they even attacked our colleagues with flames.
“It seems unbelievable that people who know how painful a burn is to do these actions.”
The union added the firefighters had used “great violence”.
Some 200 firefighters took part in the demonstration over an industrial despite which has been rumbling on since June this year in a dispute over pay and conditions.
It’s understood at least one member of the fire group was injured and taken to Ourense University Hospital with a “broken nasal septum”. The police said two offices had been injured.
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Provincial president Luis Menor, who is the head of emergency services in the region, condemned the riot, he said: “You cannot lose reason in force with this type of actions.”
After the chaotic clashes the president of the strike committee, Angel Moldes said the local authorities had promised to open talks but that “at the moment there is no action”.
He added: “We hope to be summoned this week because these mobilisations are bringing injuries, we have a firefighter with a very serious blow to the face.”
The striking side said another demonstration was planned for November if negotiations failed to materialise.
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