Right -wing extremism: Police ended racist riots in southeastern Spain

After several riotous nights with riots against migrants, the Spanish police in Torre-Pacheco in the southeast of the country have largely restored calm. A rally of right-wing extremist groups had been massively restricted by the officials on Tuesday evening, the state TV broadcaster RTVE reported. Only around hundred people would have participated, it said. “There were more journalists than demonstrators,” said the newspaper “El Mundo”.

The otherwise tranquil Torre-Pacheco had been the scene of violent clashes since Friday evening. Above all, it was younger men who gathered in the 40,000-inhabitant community not far from the Murcia region in order to make “hunt for migrants” after calls on social networks. Mayor Pedro Ángel Roca told journalists that many of the protesters had traveled from outside.

Some were armed with baseball rackets and trimmings. They attacked immigrants from the Maghreb, set daring containers on fire, fired pyrotechnics and threw police officers with bottles, stones and molotov cocktails. There were numerous injuries and 13 arrests.

The starting point of the events was an attack on pensioners

The trigger was triggered by an attack on a 68-year-old who was said to have been committed by people with a migration background last Wednesday. The three alleged perpetrators were arrested, the government said.

For Tuesday, various relevant groups, including a name “Deport Them now” (deported it now), had called for a large rally in Torre-Pacheco across Europe. However, according to RTVE, the police prevented the entry of various alleged right -wing extremists and also showed some protesters from Italy and Romania from the small town. Even with increased presence, she was able to slow down the campaign and prevent new riots.

The government and right -wing populists blame each other

The central government in Madrid blames the right -wing populist VOX party for the riots. “These events are a result of the right-wing extremist discourse,” said Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska. VOX boss Santiago Abascal meanwhile accused the government of “behind the rapes of Spanish women, the knife attacks on Spaniards and violence on the streets”. He called for “mass deportations of illegals” and the designation of legal migrants who commit crimes.

Around 30 percent of the Torre-Pacheco residents are migrants. They mainly work in agriculture. “Many of these people have been living here for over 20 years, their children were born in here,” said Mayor Roca.