I wasn’t sure what this post was talking about since the first link doesn’t work anymore. Looks like there’s updated info as of 2/15/02:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020215/ap_on_re_eu/spain_police_beating_2

BARCELONA, Spain - A lawyer for black trumpet player Rodney Mack says racism is not involved in the musician’s complaint against Barcelona police, who threw the American to the ground and beat him. Police said it was a case of mistaken identity.
...

“I felt traumatized — like any moment it could happen again. I’ve been having nightmares. Last night I had this very violent nightmare that someone was attacking me. My wife says it scared her, because I woke up suddenly, screaming.”

Immediately after the attack, the NAACP in the United States and the Spanish anti-racist group SOS Racismo condemned the beating. The NAACP called the case a clear example of racial profiling and urged U.S. intervention, demanding that the ambassador to Spain file a formal complaint. The U.S. consulate in Barcelona sent a letter to the Spanish government expressing its concern about Mack’s treatment.

I personally have my doubts whether the beating would have occurred to such a degree had Mack been white, despite what his lawyer says. Though I’ve been assured on another MM thread that racism isn’t bad here in Spain, my own observations make me wonder and this story only makes it more so.

As for the NAACP intervening in this case... as an American living abroad I can honestly tell you that if something like this happened to me, I would welcome whatever help was offered to me from my government and whatever American organizations wanted to get involved. Sorry if it’s cultural imperialism or what not, I understand the concern, but if the gov or NAACP wants to fight on Mack’s behalf, I say go for it. Just because the U.S.’s own house isn’t perfectly clean doesn’t mean we should ignore transgressions abroad either – especially involving our own citizens. Personally, I think pResident Bush is a complete jerk and his “war on the ‘axis of evil’” is a joke, but I don’t think the U.S. should apologize for being a political and economic superpower either. And in cases like this I think we should use the considerable influence we have to make our concerns heard and changes made.

Personally, I hope the NAACP and the U.S. government rip the Barcelona police a good one so even IF something like this was just a mistake, in the future it’ll never happen again. ("Oye, no debemos golpear este tio tanto... podria ser un Americano..."). That would make ME feel safer living here in Spain too.

Just my thoughts...

-Russ