Anti-Migrant Violence Erupts for Second Night in Spain after Attack on Pensioner

Several people have been injured in a second consecutive night of anti-migrant unrest in the southeastern Spanish town of Torre Pacheco, authorities have confirmed. Despite a heightened police presence, groups of individuals wielding batons patrolled the streets, reportedly targeting people of foreign origin, according to La Opinión de Murcia , a local regional newspaper. The clashes followed the beating of a 68-year-old Spanish man, who told media outlets that he was assaulted on Wednesday by three young men of North African descent. A video of the attack circulated on social media, fueling

Several people have been injured in a second consecutive night of anti-migrant unrest in the southeastern Spanish town of Torre Pacheco, authorities have confirmed. Despite a heightened police presence, groups of individuals wielding batons patrolled the streets, reportedly targeting people of foreign origin, according to La Opinión de Murcia, a local regional newspaper. The clashes followed the beating of a 68-year-old Spanish man, who told media outlets that he was assaulted on Wednesday by three young men of North African descent. A video of the attack circulated on social media, fueling public anger. In response to the incident, the town hall organized a demonstration on Friday, intended to be peaceful. However, far-right demonstrators disrupted the event, chanting anti-migrant slogans. A group calling itself “Deport Them Now” posted a message on social media urging attacks against individuals of North African origin, The Guardian reported. Authorities have not released an official count of the injured, but at least one person has been arrested in connection with the violence, according to regional officials. As tensions continued to escalate, national and regional leaders issued urgent appeals for calm in Torre Pacheco, a town with a population of around 36,000. “The town must return to normal. I understand the frustration, but nothing justifies violence,” said Fernando López Miras, the conservative president of the Murcia regional government, in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter). Torre Pacheco’s mayor, Pedro Ángel Roca Ternel, also addressed the unrest during an interview with RTVE public television. “I call on residents to remain calm and act with tranquillity,” he said. Spain’s youth minister, Sira Rego, a member of the left-wing Sumar alliance, condemned the anti-migrant violence in a message posted on Bluesky. She blamed the far-right for inciting unrest and fueling hostility toward migrant communities.