Spanish ‘Balcony Vigilantes’ in Madrid Spit at and Shout Insults to Hospital Staff going to work mistaking them for flouters

Doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers in Madrid are suffering insults and harassment from so-called ‘balcony vigilantes’ while on their way to work, they have even had eggs thrown at them!

POLICE in Madrid say that children with autism and other conditions may go outdoors, and asks residents to check ‘before being disrespectful to anybody.’

On one occasion, these self-appointed vigilantes have hurled insults, spitballs and eggs at passers-by. The police are also advising caregivers to wear a reflective vest during outings. Some associations recommend wearing a blue ribbon on their arm.

One particular story was when Victoria Vivancos from Murcia, went out for bread on Sunday, she came back in tears. As she and her son were making their way to the bakery and back – a 20-minute trip – several residents of nearby buildings came out on their balconies to scream at them: “Are you crazy?” “Stop going out for a stroll!”

Vivancos and her 22-year-old son Pablo, who is autistic and suffers from Phelan-McDermid syndrome, which causes developmental delay, were the only two people walking down the avenue that morning in Murcia, a city in southeastern Spain.

The reports come mainly from Italy and Spain, the European countries with the highest number of infected and dead cases related to the Covid-19 coronavirus.

A group of infected elderly people were met with stones and insults on a transfer from one home to another in Andalucia.