Joaquín Prat, one of the most recognizable faces on Spanish television, is known for his directness and unwillingness to remain silent in the face of injustice. Recently, his patience ran out live on air during a Telecinco program. The trigger for his emotional outburst was a viral video showing a highly unpleasant scene that took place in the Barcelona metro.
The footage shows a man, openly declaring his separatist views, attacking an elderly woman with insults. The conflict apparently arose over a free seat in the carriage. The aggressor unleashed a stream of xenophobic slurs at the pensioner, calling her a “dirty Spaniard” and demanding that she “go back to her Spain,” as if Catalonia were no longer part of the country. In his tirade, he also mentioned Carles Puigdemont, threatening the woman that her life here would not be peaceful as long as the former Catalan leader remains abroad. Despite the verbal attack, the victim maintained her dignity, only remarking that her opponent was out of his mind and that there was no point in talking to him.
Upon seeing this post, Joaquín Prat could not stand aside. He didn’t mince words, saying that back in his hometown, such a person would have been “given a good beating.” The popular show’s host explained his harshness as a reaction to the blatant disrespect shown toward the older generation. He suggested that the attacker “is not right in the head” if he allows himself this level of verbal abuse towards a woman with a shopping trolley. Prat bitterly noted the total lack of solidarity with elderly people and was outraged that none of the passengers even tried to call out “this lout.”
However, the story did not end there. It turned out this was not an isolated incident. Another woman, Esther from Granada, called the studio saying she had encountered the same man under similar circumstances. The reason for his aggression toward her was a bracelet with the colors of the Spanish flag on her wrist. Again, according to her, no one in the train carriage stood up for her, which further infuriated the Telecinco host. After listening to Esther’s account, Prat expressed hope that the authorities would finally pay attention to this individual and take action. He also added that, although for legal reasons the channel is forced to blur the aggressor’s face, he encourages viewers to find the video online so everyone can see who this “imbecile” is.
