‘We must cut off the media flow to the far right — their rhetoric is not opinion, it is hate,’ Podemos leader Belarra said.

Over the weekend, far-right groups in Spain carried out xenophobic attacks, primarily targeting migrants of North African origin, in the town of Torre-Pacheco, located in the Murcia region.

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Racist extremists turned public streets and spaces into scenes of persecution and clashes with migrants. The events were triggered by a brutal beating of an elderly man carried out by three unidentified individuals.

Shortly afterward, far-right groups quickly spread falsehoods, fake videos and hate messages on social media, fueling the violence and encouraging the creation of illegal patrols dedicated to “protecting” the streets through threats and attacks on migrants.

In recent days, authorities have had to secure the town through a joint operation involving the Civil Guard and local police to contain dozens of neo-Nazi militants who arrived from other cities. These individuals attacked businesses, intimidated residents, and engaged in street fights with young North Africans.

The text reads, “Tensions are growing between local residents and migrants in Spain. Clashes have broken out between local residents and migrants in the municipality of Torre-Pacheco, Murcia, following an alleged attack and theft of a Spanish elderly man by Moroccans. Domingo, a 68-year-old man from Torre Pacheco, was attacked on 9 July when he was brutally beaten by a group of young men while on a regular walk. ‘They threw me to the ground and started hitting me for no reason,’ Domingo said. The Torre-Pacheco riots, now in its second day, have left one detainee and five wounded, after the proclamations to ‘hunt down’ migrants. A possible presence of far-right activists is reported in the area.”

The clashes have already resulted in several injuries, arrests and extensive property damage. Despite police efforts, tensions remain high, further fueled by social media calls to “hunt down” migrants.

“In Germany, Nazism began with citizen or neighborhood patrols beating the Jews. In Italy, fascism began beating workers,” historian Lucio Martinez Pereda recalled when commenting on the events.

The local government confirmed the arrest of nine citizens on charges of hate crimes, public disorder and assault. It also reported 30 formal complaints and identified 80 far-right activists, many with prior violent records.

On Saturday, the leftist political party Podemos called for the immediate regularization of all immigrants to counter the rhetoric often used by far-right groups to justify hate speech.

“We must stop this racist violence, and there is only one way to do it: strengthen public services and regularize all people living here. We must cut off the media flow to the far right — their rhetoric is not opinion, it is hate. The time to act is now,” Podemos leader Ione Belarra said.

European Parliament member Irene Montero also called for an end to the violence by legalizing the status of immigrants living in Spain, combating “racist hate” in the media, and implementing social measures, such as lowering rent prices.

Maria Marin, the Podemos spokesperson in the Regional Assembly of Murcia, have also denounced attacks on foreigners carried out by groups linked to extremist ideologies.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: EFE – SER Murcia

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