Latest news with #FernandoGrande-Marlaska
Straits Times
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Spain tightens scrutiny of far-right groups after clashes
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: A demonstrator gestures while wearing a shirt reading, \"Spain. Honour and Glory\", during anti-migrant unrest, following an attack on an elderly man by unknown assailants last week, in Torre Pacheco, Spain, July 15, 2025. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura/File Photo MADRID - 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. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Driverless bus in Sentosa gets green light to run without safety officer in first for S'pore World US strikes destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites, says new report Business 5 things to know about Kuok Hui Kwong, tycoon Robert Kuok's daughter and Shangri-La Asia head honcho Asia Air India probe of Boeing 787 fuel control switches finds no issues Singapore Man charged over manufacturing DIY Kpods at Yishun home; first such case in Singapore Singapore Sex first, then you can sell my flat: Women property agents fend off indecent proposals and harassment Singapore Two women jailed for submitting fake university certificates to MOM for employment passes Singapore Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid in Bishan: Traffic Police officer sentenced to 10 years' jail 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. '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
Morocco World
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Spain's Interior Minister Blames Vox for Fueling Hate Against Migrants, Including Moroccans
Rabat – Spain's Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has officially pointed fingers at far-right party Vox, accusing it of inciting the recent wave of violence in southern Spain, particularly Torre Pacheco in southeastern Spain. Migrant communities, particularly Moroccans, were targeted following an assault incident against a Spanish retiree last week. Police in Spain have arrested eight suspects since Friday amid a wave of violence targeting North African immigrants, with two confirmed of committed the assault against the individual. Converging reports said the nest was fueled by the hate-filled rhetoric dissipated by the far-right. In an interview today with Cadena Ser radio, Marlaska said the arrests took place, noting that the majority, five of the eight, of those arrested for acts of violence are Spanish nationals. He added that an investigation is ongoing to determine the full scope of responsibility. The confirmation comes in contrast to misleading narratives targeting migrants, particularly Moroccans. Marlaska accused Vox of exacerbating the unrest in Torre Pacheco, noting that 'organized groups' are active to criminalize immigration instead of promoting coexistence and prosperity. He stressed that the events are not rooted in migrant related crime, but are instead the result of hate-fueled rhetoric by Vox and its affiliates. Pedro Angel Roca, the mayor of Torre Pacheco, also defended migrants, noting that there are families that have been living in the town for over 20 years, working in different sectors, including agriculture. Several new outlets circulated reports saying that tensions remain high in the region, documenting the attacks against North African immigrants, both on and offline. El País reported that far-right groups exploited the event, using social media to organize a 'hunt' against migrants from North Africa in the San Antonio neighborhood, which serves as home to a large Moroccan community. According to recent data from the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, the number of foreign workers affiliated with Spain's social security system reached a historic high in June, totaling 3,096,014 individuals. Moroccans remain the largest foreign community affiliated with Spanish social security, with 375,042 workers, ahead of Romanians, Colombians, and Italians.
Daily Maverick
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Eight arrested after far-right groups and migrants clash in Spanish town
In one of Spain's worst such flare-ups of recent times, several dozen youths from far-right groups, some hooded, hurled glass bottles and objects at riot police in Torre Pacheco on Sunday night. Police fired rubber bullets to quell the unrest. The trouble stemmed from an attack last week by unidentified assailants on an elderly man that left him injured and recovering at home. Authorities said two of those arrested were involved in that assault though they were still looking for the main perpetrator. The other six – five Spaniards and one person of North African origin – were arrested for assault, public disorder, hate crimes or damage to property, the Interior Ministry said. Migrants, many of them second-generation, make up about a third of Torre Pacheco's population of about 40,000. The area around the town also hosts large numbers of migrants who work as day labourers in agriculture, one of the pillars of the economy in the Murcia region. Speaking to radio station Cadena Ser, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska attributed the violence to anti-immigration rhetoric from far-right groups and political parties such as Vox, citing organisation and calls on social media. Police intercepted more than 20 vehicles attempting to enter the town, with some occupants carrying sticks and extendable batons, he said. 'There are gatherings to resolve the issue (assault) for us. We don't want those,' mayor Pedro Angel Roca told national broadcaster TVE. Abdelali, a North African migrant who lives in Torre Pacheco and declined to give his surname, said he was afraid of riding his scooter for fear of being hit by bottles hurled by the rioters. 'We want peace. That's what we want, we don't want anything else,' he told Reuters on Sunday on a street in Torre Pacheco. 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.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Eight arrested after far-right groups and migrants clash in Spanish town
By Leonardo Benassatto TORRE PACHECO, Spain (Reuters) -Spanish police have arrested eight people after three nights of clashes between far-right groups and North African migrants in a town in southeastern Spain, the government said on Monday. In one of Spain's worst such flare-ups of recent times, several dozen youths from far-right groups, some hooded, hurled glass bottles and objects at riot police in Torre Pacheco on Sunday night. Police fired rubber bullets to quell the unrest. The trouble stemmed from an attack last week by unidentified assailants on an elderly man that left him injured and recovering at home. Authorities said two of those arrested were involved in that assault though they were still looking for the main perpetrator. The other six - five Spaniards and one person of North African origin - were arrested for assault, public disorder, hate crimes or damage to property, the Interior Ministry said. Migrants, many of them second-generation, make up about a third of Torre Pacheco's population of about 40,000. The area around the town also hosts large numbers of migrants who work as day labourers in agriculture, one of the pillars of the economy in the Murcia region. Speaking to radio station Cadena Ser, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska attributed the violence to anti-immigration rhetoric from far-right groups and political parties such as Vox, citing organisation and calls on social media. Police intercepted more than 20 vehicles attempting to enter the town, with some occupants carrying sticks and extendable batons, he said. "There are gatherings to resolve the issue (assault) for us. We don't want those," mayor Pedro Angel Roca told national broadcaster TVE. Abdelali, a North African migrant who lives in Torre Pacheco and declined to give his surname, said he was afraid of riding his scooter for fear of being hit by bottles hurled by the rioters. "We want peace. That's what we want, we don't want anything else," he told Reuters on Sunday on a street in Torre Pacheco. 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.
Straits Times
14-07-2025
- Straits Times
Eight arrested after far-right groups and migrants clash in Spanish town
Find out what's new on ST website and app. People run on a street during clashes with police, amid anti-migrant unrest following an attack on an elderly man by unknown assailants earlier in the week, in Torre Pacheco, Spain, July 13, 2025. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura TORRE PACHECO, Spain - Spanish police have arrested eight people after three nights of clashes between far-right groups and North African migrants in a town in southeastern Spain, the government said on Monday. In one of Spain's worst such flare-ups of recent times, several dozen youths from far-right groups, some hooded, hurled glass bottles and objects at riot police in Torre Pacheco on Sunday night. Police fired rubber bullets to quell the unrest. The trouble stemmed from an attack last week by unidentified assailants on an elderly man that left him injured and recovering at home. Authorities said two of those arrested were involved in that assault though they were still looking for the main perpetrator. The other six - five Spaniards and one person of North African origin - were arrested for assault, public disorder, hate crimes or damage to property, the Interior Ministry said. Migrants, many of them second-generation, make up about a third of Torre Pacheco's population of about 40,000. The area around the town also hosts large numbers of migrants who work as day labourers in agriculture, one of the pillars of the economy in the Murcia region. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Avenue 3 Singapore Singapore to train more aviation and maritime officials from around the world Business Singapore's economy sees surprise expansion in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat Singapore Jail, caning for man who had 285 child porn videos, including those that show infants Singapore Three power firms get co-funding to study carbon capture, storage to help Singapore decarbonise Speaking to radio station Cadena Ser, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska attributed the violence to anti-immigration rhetoric from far-right groups and political parties such as Vox, citing organisation and calls on social media. Police intercepted more than 20 vehicles attempting to enter the town, with some occupants carrying sticks and extendable batons, he said. "There are gatherings to resolve the issue (assault) for us. We don't want those," mayor Pedro Angel Roca told national broadcaster TVE. Abdelali, a North African migrant who lives in Torre Pacheco and declined to give his surname, said he was afraid of riding his scooter for fear of being hit by bottles hurled by the rioters. "We want peace. That's what we want, we don't want anything else," he told Reuters on Sunday on a street in Torre Pacheco. 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
