Latest news with #TorrePacheco
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Inside quiet rural Spanish town that's become flashpoint for anger at pro-immigration policy after OAP's savage beating
SPRIGHTLY Domingo Tomas Martinez was taking his usual dawn stroll when he was battered so brutally that his eye wept blood. The beating, allegedly at the hands of a North African youth as two others looked on, sparked race riots that have rocked Spain. 9 9 'I didn't say anything to provoke them,' the 68-year-old retired farm worker from the southeastern town of Torre-Pacheco insisted. 'I had my watch and house keys with me, and that young man didn't even take the watch. He just hit me to hurt me. He hit me for fun.' If local gossip is to be believed, the blows rained down on Domingo were for social media likes. It left local hotheads — egged on by the far right — thirsting for revenge. Once sleepy Torre-Pacheco, which lies amid the so-called 'vegetable garden of Europe', descended into three nights of inter-ethnic mob violence. The race riots — the worst in Spain for decades — have left many questioning its socialist government's pro- immigration stance. Policies have included making it easier for undocumented immigrants to become legal citizens. Torre-Pacheco's population has doubled to 40,000 over the last 30 years as workers have come from abroad to toil in the fields. Now, about a third of residents are foreign-born, many from Morocco. Professor Juan Antonio Soto, from the University of Navarra, told me: 'Torre-Pacheco isn't a fringe case. It's the frontline of Spain's migration model — and its failure to integrate newcomers.' Shock moment cops DRIVE INTO protester while under siege from yobs as chaos erupts over small boat migrant 'sex assault' Bloodied and scarred Britain, which saw eight police officers injured in clashes outside an Essex migrant hotel after an asylum seeker was accused of sexual assault this week has watched on uneasily as events unfolded in Spain. While some locals here in Torre-Pacheco tell me the explosion of violence has been brewing for decades, it was Domingo's beating which lit the blue touch paper. On July 9, the pensioner left his villa near the centre of Torre-Pacheco at around 5.30am for his daily stroll. Exercising before the stultifying daytime temperatures soared, he walked briskly towards the cemetery on his regular two-and-a-half-mile route. Then, he noticed three North African men, one of whom, armed with a stick, allegedly knocked him down and beat him. The pensioner believes the other two were recording what happened on their phones. Images of his bloodied and scarred face were broadcast across Spain, sparking pity and anger. Domingo would later offer a motive for the beating he allegedly received, saying: 'In town, they say the young kids are doing a dare, hitting someone to see who hits harder. 'And I think that's why they did it — to film everything.' Three men have been arrested, including a 19-year-old from Barcelona who was held trying to make his way to France. Then, on July 11, Torre-Pacheco's mayor rashly called for a rally in the Town Hall Square under the slogan, 'free from violence, free from crime'. Hundreds of residents, including those from an immigrant background, attended the demonstration, which was initially peaceful. Later, violence flared and locals and extremists from other parts of Spain began goading North Africans with shouts of, 'Moors, sons of bitches' and, 'Go back to your country'. Social media did its foul work. A fake video purportedly showing Domingo's beating did the rounds, while a Telegram group named Deport Them Now called for a migrant 'hunt'. Feral-looking youths seemed to take them at their word. For three nights, masked mobs swarmed the streets as darkness fell and the 35C temperatures abated. When the rabble reached the Moroccan district of San Antonio in the town, hooded youths looking just as menacing were waiting for them. Among the arsenal of weapons employed by both mobs were baseball bats, clubs and bottles. Riot cops fired rubber bullets to quell the unrest. On July 13, Hassan, the Moroccan owner of Don Kebabs, was forced to flee his takeaway when a 50-strong, balaclava-clad mob yelled at him: 'Shut up shop, moro (an insulting word for North Africans), today you're not going to work.' They then smashed the place up as Hassan and one of his staff fled through a back door. Santiago Abascal — leader of the far right Vox Party — looked to capitalise on the violence. 9 9 9 He released a video saying of migration: 'It has stolen our borders, it has stolen our peace and it has stolen our prosperity.' With his party sitting third in the polls, Abascal blamed the ruling Socialists and the conservative Popular Party for 'all the violence' and demanded 'immediate deportations'. 'Clash of cultures' Vox was the most popular party in Torre-Pacheco in the last town hall elections in 2019, capturing over 38 per cent of the vote. The mayhem left Britons with plush villas at the Mar Menor Resort on the outskirts of Torre-Pacheco wary of leaving the secure complex. One retiree there told me: 'There's a Spar supermarket and a poolside bar, so we luckily don't need to leave.' Enjoying the evening sun in San Antonio this week, motorcycle mechanic Mohammed, 30, told me: 'We don't want problems, we're not aggressive people, but we're not frightened of the racists.' He and his farm labourer friend Mustafa Kawder, 24, insisted they weren't involved in the violence. The immigrants who come here want to bring their culture and Sharia law with them. Javier Rubio, Protestor Mustafa, a £6.20-an-hour melon picker, added: 'There was a lot of racism here before all this happened. I was born in Morocco, but won't leave because of this. Spain is my home now.' In the centre of the town, I met Javier Rubio, 40, who has travelled down from Alicante to speak out against Muslim immigration because he believes 'there is a clash of cultures'. He says he has not been involved in the violence. Nevertheless, the sausage hanging from his waist — 'because Muslims don't like pork' — reveals the mark of the man. Previously working as a waiter in London for nine years, he said: 'The first week I was in England, I found work. I didn't claim benefits. I paid taxes and didn't commit any crime. 'And I didn't ask for running bulls through the streets of England. Go to Spain if you want that. "The immigrants who come here want to bring their culture and Sharia law with them.' At times, security forces were overwhelmed by the violence in Torre-Pacheco in the past week. They only got a grip on the gang warfare by sealing off entrances to the town from outside provocateurs. There have been at least five injuries and 14 arrests. Once a sleepy farming village, irrigation in the late 1970s turned its dustbowl fields into a fertile plain of lush olive and lemon groves. Soon, polytunnels were used to protect lettuce and artichoke crops while fields of ripening melons now ring the town. Thousands of labourers were needed to plant and harvest the crops and Spain looked abroad to fill shortages. Now the sprawling town is home to around 6,500 Moroccan-born workers as well as migrant communities hailing from Mali, Senegal, Romania and Ecuador. Professor Soto said: 'Many migrants arrived legally, but there's also been irregular migration, with thousands working in the informal economy or living in precarious housing.' Brought up in regional capital Murcia, the professor says some of Torre-Pacheco's schools have over 60 per cent of pupils from migrant backgrounds. Meanwhile, some migrants live in ramshackle properties that lack electricity or sanitation and, according to Professor Soto, have 'little meaningful integration' with Spanish society. In September 2021, a suspected suicide terror attack was unleashed in nearby Roldan. Moroccan-born Abdelllah Gmara stabbed himself then accelerated a VW Golf at over 60mph into the terrace of Honey's Bar, a popular venue with British expats. One diner was killed and others were injured. The driver, who reportedly left notes suggesting a jihadist motive, also died. Yet, outwardly at least, most in the town seemed to rub along. Professor Soto added: 'On the surface, things remained calm — but many locals felt ignored, especially as services became overwhelmed.' 'They have no identity' At the same time, many second and third-generation descendants of Moroccan immigrants are struggling for identity in a town where they face racist abuse from some. 'The problem is they have no identity,' said local sociologist Paulino Ros. 'They want to be Spanish and feel Spanish. 'But the people in the street's common insult is, 'Moorish s**t, go back to your country'.' The 57-year-old dad of two, who produces the Islam In Murcia blog, added: 'They were born in Spain and don't know Morocco, so they are foreigners at home. 'They have this conflict of identity and this is a problem. When you are a teenager, your mind is crazy.' Now, uneasy tension shrouds the town. At the Cafeteria Estambul in the heart of San Antonio, boss Salah El Hilali, 56, told me: 'I get worried after 8pm when the attacks were coming. But we trust the police who are defending us.' Above the counter, a picture of the Spanish football team is proudly displayed. Enjoying a coffee, Moroccan-born Ayyad Houssin, 35, said: 'I'm worried for the future. So many people support Vox now.' Sociologist Paulino is equally downbeat. 'Soon the police and the journalists will leave,' he added. 'And we will be in deep s**t.' 9 9 9
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Disinformation catalyzes anti-migrant unrest in Spain
MADRID: The rare anti-migrant violence that recently rocked a Spanish town demonstrated how online disinformation feeds xenophobic hate speech, which leapt from screens to real life with the support of politicians, experts said. Last weekend's unrest in the southeastern town of Torre Pacheco pitted far-right groups against immigrant residents, mainly of Moroccan origin, but a heavy police presence prevented serious confrontations. The altercations were sparked after a 68-year-old pensioner said three men of North African origin attacked him without provocation on July 9. Two days later, the conservative-led city council organized a protest against insecurity, which quickly escalated when far-right groups joined with hostile slogans against immigrants. That day, and for several nights, riots broke out in the streets of the southeastern city of 40,000. Authorities have arrested 14 people, including three suspected of involvement in the attack on the retiree. Also among those detained is the leader of the far-right 'Deport Them Now' group, who allegedly called for a 'hunt' of migrants on social media. The sudden outbreak of violence took Spain by surprise but anti-migrant discourse had already been brewing, partly due to disinformation circulating on social media. AFP's digital verification team in Spain has debunked many false claims linked to immigrants, mostly concerning public benefits they supposedly receive and alleged attacks by foreigners on Spanish customs. For Alexandre Lopez Borrull, a professor in communication and information science at the Open University of Catalonia, disinformation in such cases is 'the fuel and the spark at the same time.' The narrative 'is fueled over a long period of time' and when a specific event occurs, it can act as a spark in scenarios like the one that played out in Torre Pacheco, he said. A video purporting to show the assault on the pensioner, along with a list of alleged attackers, quickly circulated online — both debunked by AFP. Elisa Brey, a sociology professor at Madrid's Complutense University, likened the phenomenon to criminals setting off wildfires. 'It's hot, there's a temperature alert, and an arsonist passes by and throws a match. That is what happens with disinformation,' she said. Experts also emphasized the role of politicians, particularly the far-right Vox party, in fanning the flames of anti-migrant rhetoric. Vox has long connected immigration to crime and recently proposed, echoing other EU political parties and far-right activists, that some migrants be deported as part of a broad 'remigration' plan. Foreigners make up 14 percent of Spain's population, up from only 1.6 percent in 1998. In events like the violent protests in Torre Pacheco, malicious discourse seeps through different layers of social media before erupting into the public sphere, Brey explained. First, it simmers at an 'underlying' level on less visible platforms like Telegram, before jumping to more popular networks such as X and TikTok. Politicians then amplify the message through public statements, she said. Vox's leader in the southeastern Murcia region, which includes Torre Pacheco, blamed the unrest on 'illegal immigration,' claiming that migrants had assaulted the elderly and committed sexual violence against women. Prosecutors have opened an investigation into his comments to determine if they constitute a hate crime. Social media was used in a way that, 'in the end, it led to these events,' added Marcelino Madrigal, an expert in online platforms and cybersecurity. Madrigal also detected that parties were shifting their position on immigration with an eye on political gain at a time of speculation about early elections in Spain. 'With disinformation about immigration, the aim is to destabilize a government or a country as well as present yourself as an alternative to save us from a problem that does not exist,' he said.
CNA
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
Spain tightens scrutiny of far-right groups after clashes
MADRID: Spain said on Thursday (Jul 17) it would step up investigations into suspected crimes by members of far-right and racist groups after four nights of clashes with African migrants in some of the nation's worst such unrest of recent times. Authorities have detained 11 people and filed more than 60 complaints over hate crimes and disorder since violence erupted last Friday following an attack on a local man in his 60s in the town of Torre Pacheco in southeastern Murcia region. Police have detained three Moroccan men over the attack in a town where one third of the inhabitants are of migrant origin. The Interior Ministry said Spain's terrorism and organised crime intelligence specialists have been asked to include hate crimes within their remit and to monitor online spaces for incitement to violence. Far-right groups will be investigated for links to national movements, the ministry said, after government claims that Vox, the nationalist party that is now Spain's third largest electoral force, was inciting violence in Torre Pacheco. "We cannot allow hatred to take root in our society," Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said during a meeting of law enforcement officials. "Crime is not on the rise, nor is it linked to migration," he added, countering a common refrain of far-right groups. Vox has denied responsibility for the unrest and blamed the socialist-led government's migration policies. Despite a 54 per cent rise in foreign residents between 2011 and 2024, crime has dropped seven percentage points, with hate crimes down 13.8 per cent last year and Spain among the world's 25 safest nations, Grande-Marlaska said. "UNACCEPTABLE ATTITUDES" As well as the Torre Pacheco trouble, in Alcala de Henares, west of Madrid, there were protests earlier this month after a man - identified as Malian by El Pais newspaper - was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault outside a migrant reception centre. Four people arrested during an unauthorised protest in front of the same centre are being investigated for disorder. Grande-Marlaska condemned the Torre Pacheco attack that triggered the unrest and highlighted swift police action to detain the three suspects including the suspected main perpetrator who was attempting to flee to France. Calls went out on social media for people to go to the town to "protect Spaniards" and "hunt north Africans". "These are unacceptable attitudes that have grown in recent years, encouraged by anonymity on social media, but also, and more seriously, by irresponsible politicians," the minister said. Spain has been open to migration and its economic benefits, even as other European governments have tightened borders. But debate has reignited, led by Vox, as plans to relocate unaccompanied underage migrants from the Canary Islands to the rest of Spain have been confirmed in recent weeks.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Spain tightens scrutiny of far-right groups after clashes
MADRID, July 17 (Reuters) - Spain said on Thursday it would step up investigations into suspected crimes by members of far-right and racist groups after four nights of clashes with African migrants in some of the nation's worst such unrest of recent times. Authorities have detained 11 people and filed more than 60 complaints over hate crimes and disorder since violence erupted last Friday following an attack on a local man in his 60s in the town of Torre Pacheco in southeastern Murcia region. Police have detained three Moroccan men over the attack in a town where one third of the inhabitants are of migrant origin. The Interior Ministry said Spain's terrorism and organised crime intelligence specialists have been asked to include hate crimes within their remit and to monitor online spaces for incitement to violence. Far-right groups will be investigated for links to national movements, the ministry said, after government claims that Vox, the nationalist party that is now Spain's third largest electoral force, was inciting violence in Torre Pacheco. "We cannot allow hatred to take root in our society," Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said during a meeting of law enforcement officials. "Crime is not on the rise, nor is it linked to migration," he added, countering a common refrain of far-right groups. Vox has denied responsibility for the unrest and blamed the socialist-led government's migration policies. Despite a 54% rise in foreign residents between 2011 and 2024, crime has dropped seven percentage points, with hate crimes down 13.8% last year and Spain among the world's 25 safest nations, Grande-Marlaska said. As well as the Torre Pacheco trouble, in Alcala de Henares, west of Madrid, there were protests earlier this month after a man - identified as Malian by El Pais newspaper - was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault outside a migrant reception centre. Four people arrested during an unauthorised protest in front of the same centre are being investigated for disorder. Grande-Marlaska condemned the Torre Pacheco attack that triggered the unrest and highlighted swift police action to detain the three suspects including the suspected main perpetrator who was attempting to flee to France. Calls went out on social media for people to go to the town to "protect Spaniards" and "hunt north Africans". "These are unacceptable attitudes that have grown in recent years, encouraged by anonymity on social media, but also, and more seriously, by irresponsible politicians," the minister said. Spain has been open to migration and its economic benefits, even as other European governments have tightened borders. But debate has reignited, led by Vox, as plans to relocate unaccompanied underage migrants from the Canary Islands to the rest of Spain have been confirmed in recent weeks.
Reuters
7 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Moroccan community calls for calm after anti-migrant clashes in Spanish town
TORRE PACHECO, Spain, July 15 (Reuters) - Moroccan community leaders in the Spanish town of Torre Pacheco called for calm following four nights of clashes between North African migrants and the far-right, in some of the worst such unrest in the country in recent times. Police have detained at least 14 people so far over the clashes that flared up on Friday after an attack last week on a local man in his 60s. Far-right groups have called for anti-migrant protests on Tuesday and over 120 Civil Guard officers have been deployed to maintain security in the town, a government spokesperson for the region said. Authorities said three Moroccan citizens suspected of involvement in the assault have been apprehended, including a 19-year-old alleged to be the main perpetrator. He was detained on Monday evening in northern Spain on assault and battery charges. A spokesperson for the central government's office in the Murcia region said none of the suspects lived in Torre Pacheco. After xenophobic messages on social media to "hunt down" residents of North African origin, leaders of the local Moroccan community urged calm and advised younger members to remain in their homes after dozens took to the streets over the weekend and on Monday, clashing with far-right groups and police. "We want peace ... We don't want criminals, we don't want violence or people who come from outside to make trouble here," Abdelali, an informal spokesperson for the Moroccan community who has lived in the town for 25 years, told reporters. Police arrested three people overnight after a confrontation with dozens of young men in the San Antonio neighbourhood, home to a majority of the town's first- and second generation migrants who represent nearly a third of the town's population of 40,000, according to local government data. Reuters footage showed some of the protesters, mostly masked, lobbing fireworks at officers clad in riot gear, who responded by firing rubber bullets. Spain's top hate crimes prosecutor, Miguel Angel Aguilar, told SER radio on Tuesday that his office was investigating the events in Torre Pacheco, as well as social media messages inciting violence towards migrants. He also confirmed regional prosecutors were looking at statements by the leader of far-right party Vox in Murcia, Jose Angel Antelo, who is accused by Spain's ruling Socialist Party of linking immigration to criminality in speeches, media appearances and posts on X. Late on Monday, the messaging app Telegram shuttered a channel named "DeportThemNowSpain" for "inciting violence". Reuters reviewed dozens of messages in the channel that included expletive-laden calls to attack Moroccans residing in Torre Pacheco or set fire to their homes. The Spanish Interior Ministry said police in Mataro, near Barcelona, had arrested an unnamed leader of supremacist movement "Deport Them Now Europe" suspected of inciting hatred and seized two computers.
