Key witness from September 20 raids takes the stand

A key witness from the September 20 Spanish police raids and subsequent pro-independence protests in Barcelona ahead of the self-determination referendum takes the stand on day 12 of the Catalan Trial.

Montserrat del Toro was a legal secretary who took part in the raids, and reportedly said that, while inside the economy ministry, outside which the demonstrations were taking place, she was afraid to leave the building. The occurrences of this day have become a contentious point and a focus of the trial, as much of the prosecution’s case for violence, and consequently rebellion, depends on it.

Indeed, activists Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart, who are charged with rebellion for having called those rallies, and are facing 17-year prison sentences.

The Supreme Court has requested not to show the face of Montserrat del Toro in its live streaming, as she requested, in order to protect her identity. Reportedly she refused to leave a public building for fear of the thousands of people who were rallying outside the building for over 15 hours.

Her testimony comes after the continuation of Diego Pérez de los Cobos, the Spanish police official who was in charge of law enforcement actions on October 1, 2017, carried out to stop the referendum.