National Police detained Podemos ex-deputy Serigne Mbaye in south Madrid on Thursday, accused of fleeing identification and resisting, following a vehicle theft alert. Mbaye claims it was a racist and aggressive action from the start, while the Government Delegation denies any discriminatory basis and launches an investigation. Seven people were arrested in total, including intervening neighbors.
Serigne Mbaye, former Podemos deputy in the Madrid Assembly and the party's Antiracism secretary, was detained around 19:45 on Thursday, March 26, in calle Antonio López, Usera (Madrid), near Hospital 12 de Octubre. According to the police report accessed by EL PAÍS, plainclothes officers responded to a call about two suspicious individuals eyeing vehicles in a high-theft area. Mbaye, matching the description with a Senegalese friend, allegedly refused to identify himself, fled to his building's portal, and offered 'strong active resistance,' hitting officers with his arms while shouting: “I know you are police. So what? I'm not stopping.”
Mbaye provides a different account in an elDiario.es interview: he had just arrived home from work to help his friend with a CV when a police car braked sharply. He claims officers were 'super aggressive,' pushed him, and demanded a search without explanation, denying any flight: “I didn't try to flee at any moment. What would I flee from and where? I was at my house.” Videos shared by El Salto show Mbaye on the ground with an officer pinning him with a knee, as neighbors plead for them to stop.
A neighbor challenged the police and called others, creating a 'tumult' per the report, leading to six more arrests, including El Salto journalist Martín Cúneo. Five officers suffered minor injuries, as did some detainees. All were released early morning, charged with assault on authority, injuries, resistance, and disobedience.
Mbaye, treated in ER for forehead wound, neck, and shoulder pain, denounces structural racism: “It's obvious it's a racist practice,” citing prior stops. Podemos blames Interior Minister Marlaska and plans congressional questions. Government Delegate Francisco Martín denies racism: “No police action can have a racist basis,” confirming an internal probe.
