Local police and the Mossos d'Esquadra disperse crowd of youths on breakwater

Sitges local police and the Mossos d’Esquadra arrived at 4am on Saturday morning to disperse a crowd of youths gathering on the breakwater that separates the beaches of La Fragata and La Ribera, near Carrer Sant Pere.

Eight police vehicles were seen on La Ribera, as officers moved to disperse the crowd that had been on the sea wall for several hours. Police found that many of those present were not complying with health measures to combat Covid, such as social distancing or the use of face masks. Eventually, however, officers chose not to impose any sanctions.

The concentration of youths on the breakwaters during the early hours of Saturday and Sunday has generated various reactions in the town, due to non-compliance with the measures against Covid and, above all, the state of these areas once the youths leave.

The intervention by the local police and the Mossos over the weekend was reportedly carried out as a ‘deterrent rather than punitive action’. However, the agents intend to return in the coming weeks and, if there is a repeated breach of the rules, sanctions will be imposed. The local police are planning to intensify their presence at these points on weekend mornings, despite the limited human resources they have to cover the entire night service in Sitges.

Concentrations on breakwaters have been common for years, but now, with pandemic restrictions, they have increased and become more prominent. Some consider that the closing of establishments at midnight is contributing to the crowds on the sea walls. On Sunday morning last week, a sculpture on La Ribera appeared was vandalised. Local police have launched an investigation to find the perpetrators.