The National Police have initiated the procedure to open a disciplinary file against the officer involved in the incident with a protester, which occurred this Sunday afternoon. The assaulted woman filed a complaint about the events that were recorded by several people and shared on social media. The victim, a 68-year-old retired teacher, was on the roadway of an avenue in Valencia, along with other colleagues participating in a protest of teachers on indefinite strike, when an officer pushed her strongly from behind, without her being warned or noticing his presence, and she fell face down, hitting her face against the ground, as she had no time to protect herself with her hands. Several teachers reproached the police officer for his attitude, asking him what need there was to act in that way and shouting at him “Vergonya!” (shame, in Valencian).
The victim was treated in Emergencies at a health center for a broken nasal septum and a chin wound that required stitches, according to union sources. Shortly after the incident occurred, videos recorded by her colleagues went viral and since then the outrage has not stopped growing. After being treated, the woman filed a complaint, as confirmed by the Government Delegation.
The Government Delegate, Pilar Bernabé, and the Deputy Government Delegate in Valencia, José Rodríguez Jurado, held a meeting this Monday with the unions calling the indefinite strike of teachers in non-university public education -STEPV, UGT PV, and CCOO PV-.
During the meeting, the joint and coordinated work carried out during the first three weeks of the strike was addressed, as well as the events that occurred on Sunday. In this regard, both the delegate and the unions committed “to continue working so that no other incident tarnishes the exemplary work carried out to date, with the aim of guaranteeing the exercise of the constitutional right to demonstrate,” emphasize the Government Delegation.
The image we have just seen is unacceptable. We will investigate what happened thoroughly to determine responsibilities.
Protecting the right to demonstrate safely is above any circumstance.
This is a totally incomprehensible act that tarnishes…
— Pilar Bernabé /❤️ (@pilarbernabe) May 31, 2026
After the events, Bernabé posted a message on her X account on Sunday where she stated: “The image we have just seen is unacceptable. We will investigate what happened thoroughly to determine responsibilities. Protecting the right to demonstrate safely is above any circumstance.” “This is a totally incomprehensible act that tarnishes the work of the Police in these three weeks of demonstrations, in coordination with the calling unions,” the delegate pointed out.
The Federal Police Union replied the same Sunday also on X with another message in which it assured that the “image corresponds to a police action to prevent street blockades,” showed all its “support to the colleague” (“If you go out to block streets, you expose yourself to being removed from them”), while telling the Government Delegate: “You are not going to investigate anything, in any case it will be a judge who must determine responsibilities.”
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The Podemos deputy Ione Belarra already sent a very critical message on Sunday: “This Government is completely out of control. Now such an assault on a public teacher on indefinite strike.” She also called for the resignation of the Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska
“Is this how the police treat teachers in struggle in Valencia, Pilar Bernabé?” asked the Esquerra Republicana deputy, Gabriel Rufián, who also demanded explanations from the Ministry of the Interior.
In the same vein, the spokesperson in Les Corts of Compromís, Joan Baldoví, expressed himself this Monday regarding the “wild, disproportionate, and absolutely unjustified aggression.”
Additionally, the University of Valencia (UV) and the Jaume I University of Castellón (UJI) expressed their support this Monday for the assaulted teacher in separate statements and have called for progress in negotiations to end the indefinite strike of teachers.
Also this Monday, the Confederation of Mothers and Fathers of Students of the Valencian Community Gonzalo Anaya, the largest in the sector, has “strongly” condemned the assault. They considered the events of “the utmost seriousness” and that “they cannot have a place in a democratic society, in full exercise of the right to demonstrate.” This organization has shown its concern that such an assault “could be carried out by those who have the obligation to protect and guarantee the safety of citizens.”
Furthermore, the Gonzalo Anaya Confederation has reiterated “the concern of families about the slowness of negotiations affecting the educational community.” “Families do not consider the school year over when there are still processes as important as student evaluation, school admission, and other pending issues that directly affect educational centers and families.
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