Why Did Far-Right Protesters And Migrants Clash In Spain?
Violent clashes in Torre-Pacheco, Spain, between far-right groups, residents, and North African migrants after an elderly man was attacked.
Violent clashes broke out late Saturday between far-right groups, residents and North African migrants in a town in southeastern Spain following an attack on an elderly man by unknown assailants earlier in the week.
Due to the clash, five people were hurt and one was arrested during the unrest in Torre-Pacheco, local officials told Reuters, in one of the worst such episodes in the country in recent decades. Although the town was quieter on Sunday, however, according to the government sources, more arrests were expected.
Videos posted on social media showed men dressed in clothes bearing far-right symbols and migrants carrying Moroccan flags hurling objects at each other in Saturday night's violence, which followed several days of lower-intensity unrest.
Tensions escalated between locals and migrants after an elderly man was attacked on Wednesday, sustaining injuries that he's recovering from at home. The motive behind the assault remains unclear.
Mariola Guevara, the central government's representative in the area, told Spanish public TV the attack was being investigated.
She also denounced 'hate speech" and 'incitement to violence," as far-right groups moved into the town, and said additional Guardia Civil officers would be deployed to deal with the violence.
According to local government data, nearly a third of Torre-Pacheco's population is of foreign origin, US News reported.
The area around the town in the Murcia region is also home to many migrants who work as agricultural day labourers, a key part of the local economy.
Murcia's government had to backtrack on a proposal to buy housing to accommodate unaccompanied migrant minors less than two weeks ago, as the ruling conservative People's Party (PP) was threatened by far-right Vox, whose support the PP needs to pass laws.
In 2000, El Ejido, a town in southern Spain's Almeria region, saw violent anti-immigration protests after three Spanish citizens were killed by Moroccan migrants.
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First Published:
July 13, 2025, 21:16 IST
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