22 November 2017•Update: 23 November 2017
By Alyssa McMurtry
MADRID
Police are investigating a WhatsApp chat group in which several Madrid municipal police officers made death threats against immigrants, Madrid’s mayor and journalists yet remain on patrol.
“We have to wipe Islamic countries off the map,” said one police officer in the group chat. Other comments against immigrants included bombing Lavapies, a multicultural Madrid neighborhood, and electrifying Spain’s border fences.
“This man is GOD!!!!,” said another member of the chat after sending a picture of Hitler. A meme that said “Fascism is happiness” with a Hitler cartoon was also sent to the group.
Within the chat group, which reportedly had around 100 police members and was created for labor issues, there were also arguments between far-right police officers and more moderate officers, who eventually turned the messages over to the authorities.
The WhatsApp conversation was published by Spanish digital daily El Diario, which reports that around six people were responsible for most of the hateful comments.
An internal disciplinary investigation is currently open with the Madrid police but remains in a classified phase. Once a case is officially launched, disciplinary measures against the police could be taken, said a statement from Madrid city hall. According to Teodoro Perez, chief inspector of the Madrid police force, police have been aware of the issue since Nov. 13.
“I would be so happy if she had an accident and suffered an agonizing death,” said one police officer about Madrid’s far-left mayor who was responsible for hanging a “refugees welcome” sign on an iconic Madrid building.
Throughout the chat, left-wing politicians and journalists were also harshly insulted and threatened.
A delegate from Madrid’s security agency also told reporters that even though the chat was private, the messages could be considered hate crimes.
The investigation continues, and so far, three people have been identified.
