'Extraordinary' police operation at Sitges Carnival focusing on anti-terrorism and sexual violence
Around a thousand officers deployed from Fat Thursday to Ash Wednesday
The police operation during this year's Sitges Carnival will focus on counter-terrorism alerts, controlling the use of sharp weapons and preventing sexual violence.
Catalan Interior Minister Joan Ignasi Elena highlighted the "extraordinary" police operation for the Sitges carnival, which will involve around a thousand units of the Catalan police Mossos d'Esquadra from Fat Thursday to Ash Wednesday.
Concerning the anti-terrorist alert, Elena recalled that Catalonia is in a heightened state of alert, level 4, and that since the outbreak of the conflict between Hamas and Israel, the Mossos have been paying increased attention to various "high-risk" locations.
These places, he noted, are not only potential targets for the interests of the different countries involved in the conflict but also for any major event, such as the Sitges Carnival.
The Sitges Carnival is one of the most famous in Spain. It lasts one week, from February 8 to 14, and presents a large number of activities and special events. The two most important are the Sunday and Tuesday parades.