Barcelona Bans World Cup Screens After Racist Chants: Get the Scoop!

The municipal group of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) has formally requested the Barcelona City Council to abstain from installing giant screens in public spaces for the retransmission of the Spanish national team's matches during the upcoming World Cup, to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The request is based on security arguments and concerns about potential racist incidents that could tarnish the city's international image.

The initiative, presented in writing, arises from the racist chants heard during the friendly match between Spain and Egypt at the Cornellà-El Prat stadium. ERC directly links these events to the risk of similar incidents occurring in mass gatherings generated by the public broadcast of matches.

The president of the ERC municipal group, Elisenda Alamany, has stated that "In Barcelona, we cannot have images like those from yesterday in Cornellà at every match of La Roja during the World Cup. These events do not represent who we are. And we cannot allow this to be the image that Barcelona transmits to the world." Alamany emphasizes the need to preserve Barcelona's reputation, urging the municipal government not to install giant screens for viewing the Spanish national team's matches during the World Cup.

ERC recalls that in the last four World Cups, these types of devices have not been enabled in the city for security reasons, proposing to maintain this practice.

The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has described the Islamophobic and xenophobic chants heard during the match as an "intolerable collective disgrace," stating that these chants go against the values represented by the Spanish national team. This pronouncement adds to the growing public condemnation of the incidents.

The General Information Commissariat of the Mossos d'Esquadra has initiated an investigation in coordination with the Hate and Discrimination Prosecutor's Office to determine if the chants constitute a hate crime and identify those responsible.

The Minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with the Courts, Félix Bolaños, has expressed his "shame" for what happened, warning that "the far right will not leave a space free of its hatred." Other members of the government, such as Ángel Víctor Torres and Óscar Puente, have also attributed the events to the action of ultra groups.

From the Generalitat, the Minister of Sports, Berni Álvarez, has considered that the chants were organized by the "far right" and has criticized the response during the meeting, noting that the protocols against racism were activated late.

The spokesperson for ERC in Congress, Gabriel Rufián, has linked the insults to a selective social rejection, while Irene Montero, from Podemos, has warned of the advance of Islamophobia. Ignacio Garriga, from Vox, has responded with a message focused on insecurity and immigration. The PP has also condemned the events.

Carles Puigdemont has blamed the PSC for fostering a climate that, in his opinion, favors this type of episode. The Royal Spanish Football Federation has condemned the events and has reiterated its commitment against racism.