Anti migrant unrest in southern Spain town, “Torre Pacheo” turned violent

Key Judgments

• 2 days of heavy clashes between the Spanish and North African populations caused by an assault on a pensioner in the town of Torre Pacheo
• Linked to the messaging of far-right political party, Vox and anti-immigrant sentiment in Spain
• Likely to impact the political discourse during a time of pressure on the national government

Context

It is also important to note that there is a history of this style of event. In 2000, violent anti-immigration protests broke out in the Almeria town of El Ejido in southern Spain after three Spanish citizens were killed by Moroccan migrants. Recently, Spain has been open to migration and its economic benefits, even as other European governments have tightened their 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.

Timeline

9^th July

On the 9^th, a 68-year-old man, named locally as Domingo Tomás Domínguez, was thrown to the ground and hit while taking his morning walk at 5:30am in a cemetery. He said he came across two young people of Maghrebi origin when a third ran and hit him with a stick, knocking him down before beating him. A photo circulated online of his bruised face along with video claiming to be footage of the attack. Mr Tomás and the police later said the video was fake. The motive was unclear as the attackers did not ask for money or his belongings and Mr Dominguez did not understand the language they used. The attack left him injured and recovering at home.

One far-right group called “Deport Them Now” called for attacks on people of North African origin. A leading member of the extremist group was detained in the north-eastern town of Mataró on suspicion of spreading hate speech.

11^th July

On the 11^th, tensions increased in the town after the city council called for a peaceful demonstration to condemn the attack on Mr Tomás. A handful of Maghrebi youths arrived and were attacked by members of far-right groups despite a heavy police presence. Afterwards, Mayor Roca urged the migrant community to stay at home and not confront the rioters.

12^th July

On the 12^th, José Ángel Antelo, the regional leader of Vox, linked immigration with crime and violence while speaking with the media, saying his party would deport immigrants.

During the night, 5 people suffered minor injuries and one person was arrested. Groups armed with batons roamed the streets; men dressed in clothes bearing far-right symbols and migrants carrying Moroccan flags hurling objects at each other in the centre of town. Rubbish containers and barricades were set on fire.

Police responded after detecting social media posts inciting a planned “hunt for migrants”. Police officers managed to prevent a major confrontation between the rioters and the North African immigrants. Francisco Pulido, head of the Guardia Civil in the Murcia region deployed units to disperse the crowd and prevent further violence.

13^th July

On the 13^th, Spanish authorities launched an appeal for calm within the town and the police presence was increased.

During the night, dozens of youths threw glass bottles and other objects at riot police. A group of men used bats and sticks to vandalise a kebab shop. Clashes occurred between far-right groups and people of North African origin. A group of hooded youths attacked vehicles and businesses, police fired rubber bullets to quell the unrest. One person was arrested.

Users in an extreme-right wing Telegram group called on people to travel in from other parts of Spain and take part in “hunts” of North Africans over three days. The communication channel was shut down by the authorities.

14^th July

On the 14^th, one of the suspects, believed to be the main perpetrator of the original assault, was arrested as he prepared to take a train from the Basque region to cross the border to France.

Police said 10 people had been arrested after the three nights of violence, this included two foreigners suspected of being involved in the assault. The other six – five Spaniards and one person of North African origin, were arrested for assault, public disorder, hate crimes or damage to property. While 80 had been identified from the riots with many having criminal records for violence.

Two Moroccans were initially arrested for their suspected role in the attack on Domingo Tomás, while six Spaniards and a Moroccan were held for “altercations, crimes of hate, damage, and public disorder”. More than 20 vehicles had been intercepted trying to enter the town.

Mr Tomás’ wife, Encarnación, condemned the rioters and urged them to leave Torre Pacheco.

The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) announced that it had filed a hate crime complaint with prosecutor’s office against José Ángel Antelo, the regional leader of Vox, who they blamed for causing the riots through their messaging. The left-wing Podemos party also said it would file complaints against Vox leaders including Mr Abascal, accusing them of “spreading and encouraging videos of lynchings” in Torre Pacheco. Party spokesman Pablo Fernández told reporters that the incidents were an example of “institutional racism” in Spain, given the previous impunity of those involved sharing violent images on social media.

15^th July

On the 15^th, three people of North African origin were detained on suspicion of attacking the 68-year-old man in Torre Pacheco.

Police presence was increased with over 130 officers combined from the provincial police in Murcia and the Civil Guard.

Analysis

There are several factors linked to the escalation and cause of the riots.

Firstly, responsibility can be placed at the rhetoric used by right-wing political party, Vox, Spain’s third largest political group. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska attributed blame to the party. Additionally, Murcia prosecutors have opened an investigation for hate crimes into the regional president of Vox, José Ángel Antelo. Vox leader Santiago Abascal denied responsibility for the riots and blamed “mass immigration” policies for allowing the alleged perpetrators to enter the country.

Secondly, it is likely that the riots were engineered to escalate. The central government’s representative in the Murcia region, said most of the rioters were not from Torre Pacheco. This is combined with the rhetoric used by the Vox party which focused on the supposed link between immigrants and crime and talk of deportation. All this would have likely increased tensions during the riots.

Thirdly, the influence of misinformation of social media. The video uploaded was believed to be of the original assault, despite it later being disproven, increasing tensions amongst local people. Additionally, footage from the riots had inflamed clashes involving non-residents that saw street equipment broken and car windows smashed. Furthermore, a government minister declared that part of the violence was organised by calls on social media.

Fourthly, the general increase in migrants within Spain. In the town of Torre Pacheco there are 40,000 immigrant inhabitants or 30% of the population, however many are agricultural labourers who have lived in the town for more than 20 years, many of them second generation migrants. Agricultural labour is one the economic pillars within the Murcia region. Therefore, this is not a new or rapidly changing situation for the area. This means it is unlikely to be any recent change in migrant that prompted the riots.

What happens next?

It is likely that the North African communities in Spain will be more fearful because of these riots. Residents expressed concern to the media of being attacked on the streets, despite advocating for a peaceful co-existence.

The Vox political party is also certain to come under additional scrutiny due to their links with the riots but is also highly likely to gain additional exposure on the national stage. This is likely to impact the next set of elections within Spain, especially given the current pressure the national government faces due to recent political scandals.