The neo-Nazi group National Nucleus lands in Catalonia amid anti-fascist mobilizations

BarcelonaThe neo-Nazi organization National Nucleus already has some members in Catalonia and this week announced that it would inaugurate its headquarters in Catalonia on Saturday. The announcement was shrouded in secrecy, as the location of the event wasn't revealed until an hour and a half before the inauguration. The aim was to prevent the pro-independence left and the anarchist movement from organizing a boycott. Although this far-right organization, which emerged from the protests outside the PSOE headquarters against the amnesty law and calls on all extremists to "fight in the streets," had kept the location of the event secret until 24 hours prior, it finally revealed shortly before the inauguration that the event would be held at Principal, 35, despite all indications that it would take place in the Catalan capital. However, this is not their new headquarters. They have simply rented a space in an industrial park, usually used for children's events, to present themselves publicly in Catalonia.

Hundreds of people from anarchist and pro-independence left-wing organizations linked to the CUP, such as Arran, traveled to the town in the Vallès Occidental region to prevent a peaceful inauguration and to combat the racist ideology of this fascist group that wants to expel all immigrants and which the Ministry of the Interior has installed. Indeed, during its short existence, it has carried out various violent actions, such as the attack last May on the pro-Palestinian encampment at the Complutense University and the assault on comedian Jaime Caravaca.

The protesters, mostly young people, gathered in an industrial park in Sentmenat and marched towards the venue where the event was being held, but police blocked their path. Riot police charged the anti-fascists when they tried to break through the police barrier to reach the venue where the far-right extremists were gathered.

To prevent incidents, the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) prepared a public order operation to prevent clashes between the anti-fascists—numbering around 500—and the Nazis. The Catalan police, who explained that they cannot preemptively prohibit the opening of a venue or a specific meeting, ended up charging the demonstrators. Four officers were injured, according to the Mossos.

The far-right extremists have boasted about holding the event, even though they had to be expelled from Barcelona, ​​and have claimed to have gathered hundreds of people when the images they have spread through social media only showed a few dozen far-right militants.

The CUP has denounced the police actions and their leniency towards the far-right. "Today's police persecution and violence against anti-fascist demonstrators is completely intolerable and a major scandal!" the CUP members emphasized in a tweet.