Spain will deploy a large-scale security operation involving 3,000 personnel at El Clasico on Wednesday, when the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos look set to share the limelight with Catalan separatist protests.
Tension in Spain’s north-east region boiled over in October when demonstrations and riots caused the original La Liga fixture between Barcelona and Real Madrid to be postponed.
Democratic Tsunami, the protest group advocating another independence referendum for Catalonia, has called publicly for its supporters to gather at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium from four hours before kick-off at 1900 GMT. Renewed fears of unrest have even raised the possibility of the match being postponed for a second time.
Assurance
“It will be played, the Clasico will be played,” Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu had said last Thursday, a pledge repeated in recent days by sports, political and police authorities in Spain.
Meetings have taken place between the police, clubs and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to ensure the safe arrival of the two squads and referees, as well as the nearly 100,000 fans expected to attend.
The operation will involve some 3,000 security personnel, as well as a cordon to prevent demonstrations blocking entrances to the ground.
In the stands, the numbers of private security staff will also be increased to reduce the threat of pitch invasions that could interrupt the game. “The operation will ensure that the Clasico is played normally,” said the chief commissioner of the Catalan regional police Eugeni Sallent.
The fixture was supposed to be played on October 26 but the RFEF decided to postpone “due to exceptional causes.”
