Firefighters Protest and Clashes at Ourense Provincial Council
A serious incident in Ourense unfolded when a firefighter from Ribeira park in A Coruña fell ill and was moved to a medical center. Colleagues described a nose injury that appeared to be an open fracture. The confrontation occurred as a crowd gathered outside the gates of the UIP at the Ourense Provincial Council during a tense and large-scale protest by firefighters.
Firefighters reported that an officer attacked the protestors who were pressing against the cordon formed by metal fencing at the main entrance. Organizers claimed that the protest action had been reported to authorities beforehand, underscoring the level of organization behind the demonstration.
“They attacked the police guarding the official building with flamethrower-like devices.”
Rescue efforts began on the scene as colleagues rushed to assist the injured person. An ambulance transported the firefighter to the hospital emergency room. Hours later, the SUP police union announced plans to file formal charges against those identified for harming officers in the incident.
SUP described the firefighters’ mobilization as radical and condemned the action as violent and premeditated. They asserted that devices resembling flamethrowers were used and that police guarding the official building were targeted during the confrontation.
The union added that the firefighters, who were well equipped, carried out a coordinated, pre-planned effort to seize control of the building by employing extreme measures. They allegedly used fire extinguishers and flares to create a smoke screen and hurled unidentified objects containing paint at the Provincial Assembly facade.
The regional police union claimed that the firefighters should be extinguishing fires, not causing them. A protester reportedly used a flamethrower-like device, resulting in serious damage and injuries to officers. Police are investigating the events, and the SUP intends to request information from the Sub-Delegation on possible responsibilities related to the disruption.
Radical mobilization of firefighters in front of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and related hashtags reflected the intensity of the action, including claims of using flamethrower-like tools against guarding officers. The strike committee indicated plans to step forward as special prosecutors, expressing unwavering support for UIP and ACoruña in subsequent proceedings.
Approximately 200 professionals from provincial associations across Galicia attended the demonstration in Ourense. The schedule indicated further protests on October 27 in front of the Provincial Assembly of A Coruña and October 31 in front of the Provincial Assembly of Lugo. If no solution emerged, a demonstration was proposed for November 17 in Santiago de Compostela.
Twenty-four fire stations across four provinces were affected by the labor conflict. Four bases were located in Ourense municipalities including A Rúa, Xinzo de Limia, Verín, and O Carballiño. The workers demanded decent working conditions, a regional agreement, permanent positions, and more personnel and technical resources. The strike committee emphasized that they felt they were among Spain’s worst-paid firefighters.
The protest began at Alameda de Ourense in front of the main Post Office, forcing Progreso Street to close for over two hours. Firefighters marched behind protest banners, tires were set alight on Rıza Street, and a smoky plume near the Marcos Valcárcel cultural center prompted numerous urgent calls from residents about fires. Protesters then moved toward the Provincial Assembly gate, throwing eggs filled with colored dyes at the facade of Il Pazo. The dye remained visible until cleaning was completed, while the municipal fire brigade, unaware of the dispute, worked to extinguish the fires.
Ourense Provincial Council President Luis Menor: “There is a permanent dialogue, but I do not see an immediate solution.”
During the protests, demonstrators urged the presence of Luis Menor, the president of the provincial council, and voiced demands including better working conditions for firefighters and assurances that such issues would not recur. Cries of resign and accusations of corruption echoed through the crowd. Menor, who previously served as the director general of Emergencies, agreed to meet with representatives. A strike committee spokesperson later said the politician pledged to act as an interlocutor and provide updates about potential meetings with other councils this week regarding a possible agreement.
Menor argued for channeling demands through the common negotiating table that includes the four councils and the Xunta. He asserted that Galician professionals deserve the best conditions and stressed that solutions must be autonomous, unique, and free of political coloring, with no difference between the four consortia.
He admitted the dialogue was ongoing but remained skeptical about an immediate resolution. He criticized the protest approach as damaging public property and noted that cleaning the wall of Pazo would be organized through legal means, possibly using insurance or other financial avenues to cover the costs.
As tensions persisted, protesters moved toward the medical center where their colleagues were being treated. Later, the strike committee released a statement detailing the sequence of events at the Ourense Provincial Council. They cited accumulated fatigue among firefighters and claimed that administrations had ignored their concerns for years. They described attempts to approach the council building, police cordon actions, and clashes as an escalation that involved head-level strikes and aggressive actions by UIP representatives. The statement asserted that injuries occurred across upper extremities and noted an alleged direct blow to a firefighter’s face by a police officer. The committee framed these events as a defensive response by firefighters in the face of what they perceived as excessive force.
From the strike committee, a call for calm in future scheduled appointments remained intact, with commitments to press for a fair resolution at the next meetings in A Coruña and Lugo. They emphasized the demand for timely action and the presence of adequate technical and legal support to negotiate effectively.