Moment riot police officer shoves protester to the ground from behind as she walks along street

By TARYN KAUR PEDLER, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 22:28, 1 June 2026 | Updated: 22:30, 1 June 2026 A riot police officer has sparked outrage in Spain after being seen in footage shoving a protester to the ground from behind while she walked along the street. Authorities in Valencia are now investigating the incident after the 68-year-old former teacher was left with a broken nose and a cut to her chin following the push. Footage of the demonstration showed the unnamed woman protesting peacefully alongside hundreds of other teachers who rallied outside Valencia's Ministry of Education on Sunday. They were demanding better working conditions as part of an indefinite strike that began on May 11. But as she made her way down the busy street in a green t-shirt, a member of the riot police, donning a helmet and black uniform, was seen barging into her with force -seemingly without provocation. Valencian government delegate Pilar Bernabe, who also serves as the left-wing PSOE's secretary for equality, condemned the incident as 'unacceptable.' 'We will conduct a thorough investigation into what happened and establish where responsibility lies. 'Protecting the right to protest safely must take precedence above all else. A riot police officer  sparked outrage in Spain after being seen in footage shoving a protester to the ground from behind while she walked along the street Footage of the demonstration showed the unnamed woman protesting peacefully alongside hundreds of other teachers who rallied outside Valencia's Ministry of Education on Sunday Authorities in Valencia are now investigating the incident after the 68-year-old former teacher was left with a broken nose and a cut to her chin following the push  According to local reports, the retired teacher has sued the officer over the incident 'This is a completely incomprehensible incident that tarnishes the work carried out by the police over the past three weeks of demonstrations, which have been coordinated with the organising trade unions.' According to local reports, the retired teacher has sued the officer over the incident. She was treated for her injuries at a local health centre on Sunday and was later discharged, it is understood. Tensions at the demonstrations initially escalated after police moved against a group of protesters who threatened to temporarily block one of the city’s main thoroughfares, Avenida Pio XII. Later on in the evening, fury was sparked once again when officers dragged protesters from the Ministry’s front steps as they attempted to stage a sit-in. Thousands of teachers have taken to the streets across Spain’s Valencia region as a wave of strike action continues to disrupt schools, in what unions say is the biggest education sector protest since the 1980s. Demonstrations have been held in cities including Alicante, Castellon, Elche and Valencia, with large crowds rallying against what teachers describe as worsening working conditions and years of underinvestment in education. The industrial action has already had a major impact on classrooms. While unions claimed that as many as 90 per cent of public school classes were affected during last month’s strike, the regional Ministry of Education put participation at 47 per cent. Union leaders are demanding a raft of reforms, including cuts to administrative workloads, smaller class sizes and increased support for pupils with additional educational needs. Teachers argue that overcrowded classrooms have become the norm, with more than 30 pupils often packed into a single class. A bitter row has also erupted over pay. Education officials have proposed a phased salary rise that would leave teachers around €75 a month better off within three years. But unions have rejected the offer outright, insisting it does little to make up for what they say has been two decades of falling wages in real terms and a steady erosion of teachers’ spending power. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.