THE council of the Catalan seaside town of Canet de Mar is considering legal action against a group of more than 20 balaclava-clad unionists involved in a clash with pro-independence supporters, leaving five injured – including this 82-year-old man, known only as John.

Yellow crosses had been placed on the beach by members of the grassroots Committees of the Defence of the Republic (CDR) calling for the release of jailed Catalan politicians and those in exile abroad.

However, hooded thugs then started to remove them and turned on CDR members who tried to stop them. The injured included John, who was slashed across his neck and chin.

Blanca Arbell, mayor of Canet, told Catalan public radio that the hooded group were “fascist radicals who believe they can act with impunity and seek confrontation”, adding: “We shouldn’t allow them to enjoy this pleasure.”

A number of the group are said to have been identified by law enforcement officers and most are reportedly members of Ciutadans, the Citizens’ Party.

Finnish MP and Catalan supporter, Mikko Karna, tweeted a question to party leaders: “Are you going to apologise for the violence of your party members @CiutadansCs mr. @Albert_Rivera and mrs. @InesArrimadas? Or is this your new strategy? Beat pro-independence councillors and the elderly? In Finland we call this political terror.”