Martyn in Europe

I am a person of habit. Today I went to the Cordoba May Fair. I walked down to the town square, as I always do, and took the bus to the fair ground.

It was getting later, it was 1:45AM, so I then decided it was time to get off home, and as I usually do, I decided to walk, and taking my usual route from the fair. I am, like many people in Cordoba, a person of habits and customs.

I was walking across the bridge that I always cross, taking photos of the stalls that are spread across the bridge. But then I noticed some people in front of me, making racist and xenophobic remarks to the people on the stalls. I took photos.

 As I reached the other side of the bridge, there was some police. I approached one officer (02:00AM 25/5/2009)and said that I'd heard an awful lot of racist talk, - even curiously enough, even anti-Semitic slurs, directed at the many people working on the stalls on the bridge -  and mainly, if not wholly,  against people whose ethnicity didn't appear to be Spanish.

To my surprise, he said to me "oh, yes, you are harassing a family", "they have complained about you". I asked "what complaints", he told me to "go away", but I insisted.  He said, "you have been taking photos", I said "I always take photos at the May Fair", he said, "but we have complaints" and I asked, "from whom?" and "about what?"..

I questioned the officer about his accusation, he told me I had no right to question him, or to observe, capture and question the racism of others. He told me, that, as a foreigner,  I had no rights In Spain. I reminded him that not only do I have rights in Spain, but I have an obligation, as all Spaniards and residents do, to respect and uphold the constitution - even if he didn't like that fact.

Of course, I asked him if he had grounds for his accusations. He became more angry We talked for a while, me asking him why he had picked on me, him telling me I had no right to question authority, and no reason to denounce racism. The more I insisted on knowing why he was "on my case", the angrier he became. Until the real nasty started.

 He then put slowly pulled on some  very thick black leather gloves, staring at me with what a look I took of anger, and I thought "Oh, I see". I was in half a mind to see how far he would go. Maybe I was in for a beating?

 I asked to speak to his boss. He refused to tell me his name or his ID number. Eventually, someone who appeared to have higher authority, came across. An older police officer, experienced and civil. After we had talked for a while, what I took to be the boss, apologized. I then asked "and a rectification from this officer?" … but he said that was up to the individual officer .. I asked the officer, if he would recant his behaviour and his accusations. He said he would not, and looked at me .. you know .. like as if I was a piece of shit.

I went into a bar nearby, I was shook up, and I took a glass of water, and told them how much I hated the way the police had just treated me. They told me it was normal, and that they are simply bastards. They gave me some wine, and then an woman of my age, behind the bar, told me to wait there until the police had left the area. When they thought it was okay, they told me it was safe to go home. God, how I love the working people of Córdoba.

As we say in Spain, "estoy asquaeado". How come there are still fascists in the police, especially the local police,? and, how come they are still above the law?

The people of Córdoba are not only amazingly tolerant, but have a lot of empathy for the less fortunate. This is reflected not only in the initiatives of City Hall, but in the nature of Cordoba's people. But it only takes one bad apple in the local police to smear the reputation of the good people of my city.