Violent clashes erupt between far-right groups and migrants in Spanish town
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. The town was quieter on Sunday, but government sources said 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 flared up between local residents and migrants after the elderly man was attacked in the street on Wednesday, causing injuries from which he is recovering at home. The reasons behind the assault are unclear and no one has been arrested.
The central government's representative in the area, Mariola Guevara, 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.
Nearly a third of Torre-Pacheco's population is of foreign origin, according to local government data.
The area surrounding the town, which is located in the Murcia region, also hosts large numbers of migrants who work as day labourers in agriculture, one of the pillars of the regional economy.
Less than two weeks ago, Murcia's government had to backtrack on a proposal to buy housing to accommodate unaccompanied migrant minors as the ruling conservative People's Party (PP) was threatened by far-right Vox, whose support the PP needs to pass laws.
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. — REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Russia says Ukrainian drones attacked training centre at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
(Reuters) -Ukrainian drones attacked a training centre at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Sunday evening, the Russian-installed administration of the Russia-held plant in Ukraine said on Monday. "The enemy used three unmanned aerial vehicles," the administration said on the Telegram messaging app. It added that "no critical" damage was recorded. Reuters could not independently verify the Russian report. The report comes a day after the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, said that it had heard hundreds of rounds of small arms fire late on Saturday at the plant. Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia plant in the first weeks of Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Each side regularly accuses the other of firing or taking other actions that could trigger a nuclear accident. The station, Europe's biggest nuclear power plant, is not operating but still requires power to keep its nuclear fuel cool. The plant's Russia-installed management said in its statement that the station "continues to operate normally, with all necessary safety precautions in place." (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Warsaw; Editing by Kim Coghill)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
German minister to press Hegseth on arms supplies, missile deployment
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends a "One Big Beautiful" event held by U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) at the White House in Washington, DC., U.S., June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo BERLIN (Reuters) -German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius heads to Washington on Monday to meet U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, to seek clarity on American arms supplies to Ukraine, missile deployment plans and the future of U.S. troop levels in Europe. Pistorius is likely to receive a warm reception as Europe's biggest economy recently emerged as a key player in NATO's largest military build-up since the Cold War, having for decades lagged behind in defence spending. As European officials fret over a possible future attack from Russia and brace for a drawdown of U.S. forces, Germany loosened its constitutional debt brake to meet NATO's new core military spending target of 3.5% of national output by 2029. The move will boost German defence spending to 162 billion euros ($189 billion) in 2029 from 95 billion euros in the draft budget for 2025. At a meeting with Hegseth at the Pentagon, Pistorius will discuss Berlin's offer to pay for American Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine, a proposal made public by Chancellor Friedrich Merz weeks ago after private discussions failed to elicit a response from Washington. On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine. He did not give a number, but he said the United States would be reimbursed for their cost by the European Union. Germany has already donated three Patriot units to Kyiv, as Ukraine endures some of the heaviest Russian attacks in recent weeks. However, European allies remain uneasy about the new U.S. administration's unpredictable stance on arms supplies. On Tuesday, Trump said he had approved sending defensive weapons to Ukraine and was considering additional sanctions on Moscow, just days after the Pentagon halted shipments of critical arms to Ukraine. Pistorius will also seek clarity on whether Washington remains committed to temporarily deploying long-range missiles to Germany from 2026, as agreed under former President Joe Biden. The deployment would include systems such as Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 1,800 kilometres (1,118 miles) and the developmental hypersonic weapon Dark Eagle with a range of around 3,000 km. Russia has criticised the plans as a serious threat to its national security and dismissed NATO concerns that it could attack an alliance member. Another key issue will be an ongoing review of the U.S. force posture worldwide that could lead to troop cuts in Europe where around 80,000 U.S. soldiers serve, including some 40,000 in Germany. European allies are urging Washington to ensure any drawdown is coordinated to prevent capability gaps that might leave NATO members vulnerable to Russian aggression. ($1 = 0.8555 euros) (Reporting by Sabine Siebold, Editing by Louise Heavens)
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Trump says US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine
FILE PHOTO: A launcher of a Patriot air defence system of the Ukrainian Air Forces is seen on the ground, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location, Ukraine August 4, 2024. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo
