Ultras, beatings, and racist harassment: what's happening in Torre Pacheco?

BarcelonaThe town of Torre Pacheco, about fifteen kilometers from Cartagena, in Murcia, has been making headlines for four days due to riots carried out by far-right extremists from across Spain. On Wednesday, a 68-year-old man was beaten in the street early in the morning, sparking a wave of violence by far-right groups who have traveled to Torre Pacheco with the aim, they say, of "avenging" the attack. They claim it was carried out by three young men, at least one of North African origin, and have targeted immigrants. However, the police have not yet officially identified any suspects. All of this has led to two consecutive nights of racist harassment and street clashes. Below, we explain the key factors behind this escalation of violence.

What triggered the riots?

The violent storm surge in Torre Pachecho began on Thursday, the day after a 68-year-old man, Domingo Tomás, was beaten in the middle of the metro while taking his usual morning walk. The man was beaten on the face and body, leaving obvious injuries to his head, eyes, and other parts of his body. Shortly after, the news began circulating on social media, and rumors spread that at least one of the attackers was of North African origin. These messages were shared thousands of times, and several far-right groups began spreading messages of hate and revenge.

What does the victim explain?

The man told the media that he was walking, as he does every morning, and suddenly saw three young immigrants. He said, "Everything happened very quickly," and that he didn't understand the language the attackers were speaking to him.

Following this incident, social media began to fill with alarmist, racist, and xenophobic messages. Some contained false information, including videos of attacks that were not related to the one in Torre Pacheco and which both the police and the victim have denied. Fake messages and statements from supposed institutions were also being spread, and photographs were circulating with the faces of the alleged perpetrators of the beating, their first and last names, and other personal details. The messages received thousands of replies, and the rioters organized themselves on social media and Telegram, calling for meetings in Torre Pacheco.

What happened the last two nights?

Following a demonstration against Wednesday's attack, groups of residents and people from outside the municipality roamed the streets Friday night, shouting violent slogans and cries of revenge, armed with knives, sticks, and stones. There were several clashes between the immigrant community and the extremists. Authorities reinforced police forces with a special deployment of 75 Civil Guard officers. However, the violence continued. Containers were burned, some groups targeted those they believed to be immigrants, and there were fights in the streets. The incidents continued on Saturday night, and the weekend ended with one arrest and five injuries. Murcian authorities confirmed that more people had been identified and that more arrests would be made.

What have the main political parties said so far?

The Torre Pacheco City Council and the government delegation in Murcia have issued several calls for calm, but have also stated that they will not allow hate speech to spread in the municipality. For its part, the Popular Party (PP) urged a reinforced police presence in the municipality and made security a priority to stem the unrest. The PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) and Podemos (Podemos) have condemned the events, describing them as a "racist hunt." They blame the far-right for the escalation of hatred and demanded measures to protect immigrants in Torre Pacheco.

Vox—which has so far avoided condemning the persecutions—has organized rallies with the slogan "Defend yourself against insecurity" and has linked all the problems to immigration. Among their statements in recent hours are proclamations such as "There will be none left," referring to undocumented immigrants.