An unexpected start to activism
In the fall of 2019, after the summer holidays, a young activist, Mireia, recalls in detail the first time he stumbled upon a stranger who asked him about the activities of September 11. He was a man with a normal appearance, dressed in a casual manner, who would later reveal being a covert agent of the police body.
The creation of a false identity
The agent, who used the fictional name of Joan Llobet Garcia, had been trained at the Avila Police School and had provided a new identity to integrate into the circles of the independence left of Lleida. To make his role credible, he enrolled in a training cycle related to environmental education and opened a bank account to manage his expenses.
A committed activist?
Llobet quickly began participating in various activities, including commemorative events and mobilizations against court ruling. Some of his companions remember times when he was one of those who launched stones during demonstrations, an activity that contrasts with his apparent initial innocent.
A strategy of infiltration
Over time, Llobet consolidated his position within the movement, showing a particular interest in the Student Union of the Catalan Countries and regularly attending the assemblies of the Platform for Mortgage Affected. Its infiltration capacity became apparent when it was actively involved in the support mobilizations for rapper Pablo Hasél, to the point of sleeping in the rectorate of the University of Lleida during his arrest.
Reactions and reflections
Following his exhibition as an infiltrator, Maria Taribó, spokesman for the La Baula Cooperative Ateneo, expressed concern about the tactics used by the state for dismantling popular organizations. In response, Borja Garcia, from Forward Lleida, stated that, despite repressive strategies, the collective intelligence of social movements would prevail.
The pattern of behavior
The militants began to suspect Llobet because of their strange actions and behaviors, which were similar to those of other infiltrators discovered above. The agent had been formed in an atmosphere that promoted secrecy, and his real identity, which was later discovered, revealed a very different life than he had built in Lleida.
The response to infiltration
Organizations such as Alert Solidaria have announced legal action against the agent and his superiors, denouncing that these infiltrations are not a legitimate act of research but an attack on democracy. Local, several entities have expressed their outrage at the lack of debate on these police practices.
Critical look at the system
The situation of activism in Lleida has highlighted the tensions between the social movements and the authorities. Llobet’s infiltration illustrates the constant struggle between state repression and the will of civil society to organize and defend their rights. The question remains is: How will the State go to maintain control over its citizens?
