In brief
On Wednesday, 23 September, PP lawmaker Ana Belén Vázquez displayed a pepper spray canister during a debate with Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska before Congress President Francina Armengol ordered her to leave the floor.
An assistant attempted to empty the canister in a congressional bathroom, dispersing gas through the ventilation system and resulting in medical care for between 10 and 15 people, with one kitchen worker placed on medical leave.
The Congress Bureau scheduled a vote for Tuesday, 29 September, under Article 101 of the parliamentary regulations, which allows suspensions and fines for carrying weapons inside the premises.
PP congressional spokesperson Ester Muñoz acknowledged on Friday that discharging the spray was an error, while asserting the action reflected public safety concerns in Ceuta following border crossings on 30 and 31 July.
- 23 SeptAna Belén Vázquez displays pepper spray during plenary; assistant discharges canister in restroom
- 25 SeptPP spokesperson admits emptying error; Congress Bureau adds disciplinary case to agenda
- 29 SeptCongress Bureau scheduled to vote on opening formal sanction proceedings
Chamber confrontation and corridor display
During a government control session on Wednesday, Partido Popular lawmaker Ana Belén Vázquez displayed a pepper spray canister from the rostrum to challenge Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska over border management in Ceuta. Congress President Francina Armengol intervened from the chair, warning that Spanish regulations categorize pepper spray as a weapon and ordering the deputy to leave the floor to surrender it to police. Vázquez vacated the chamber under threat of formal expulsion after objecting to the ruling. Outside the plenary hall, the lawmaker conducted multiple television interviews and press scrums in the corridors while continuing to display the canister. The demonstration followed border crossings into Ceuta that occurred on 30 and 31 July.
Ventilation contamination and injuries
Following the plenary confrontation, Vázquez gave the spray canister to a parliamentary group assistant to ensure it was empty before further public appearances. The staff member discharged the remaining contents into a restroom sink and plumbing, dispersing chemical irritants through the air conditioning and ventilation network into congressional offices. Emergency services treated between 10 and 15 individuals for chemical exposure, including a visiting Mauritanian lawmaker and a kitchen worker who took medical leave due to vomiting and acute eye irritation. Parliamentary authorities closed several affected sectors of the building while medical personnel treated staff. One affected individual filed a formal complaint with the on-site police station, and the National Police opened an inquiry into the staff member's actions.
Bureau agenda and Article 101 sanction path
On Friday, parliamentary authorities distributed an agenda scheduling a disciplinary case against Vázquez for the Congress Bureau meeting on Tuesday, 29 September. The proposed file applies Article 101 of the Congressional Regulations, which establishes sanctions for lawmakers who carry weapons inside the parliament building. The nine-member governing board features a five-to-four progressive majority that plans to process the case through the Statute of Deputies Committee. Potential penalties under the rule range from formal reprimands to financial penalties and temporary suspension of parliamentary status. Any final suspension requires approval by the full Congress of Deputies during a secret plenary session.
- Progressive bloc
- 5 seats
- Popular Party (PP)
- 4 seats
Data from the article text
Political responses and defense of the protest
Partido Popular congressional spokesperson Ester Muñoz acknowledged on Friday that attempting to clear the canister inside the building was a procedural error. During an interview on Antena 3, Muñoz confirmed that the staff member attempted to clean the canister in the restroom, which triggered the unexpected gas release.
“He went to the bathroom, cleaned it, and indeed some remaining gas was expelled, and what happened happened. Bad. It is evident.”
Muñoz defended the original demonstration, arguing that Vázquez sought to bring attention to women and children carrying personal defense sprays due to safety concerns in Ceuta. The spokesperson rejected statements from Armengol that equated carrying the defensive spray with entering the legislative floor armed with explosives.