Violent clashes have broken out in the town of Torre-Pacheco, in Spain’s Murcia region, after a group of far-right sympathisers confronted members of the local North African migrant community in the wake of an alleged assault on an elderly Spanish man.
According to eyewitness reports and videos shared on social media, the confrontation escalated into street-level disorder late Saturday evening, with projectiles thrown, vehicles damaged, and slogans chanted by both sides. The Guardia Civil and Policía Local were deployed to contain the situation, making several preventative detentions and setting up a heightened patrol presence across the town.
The unrest began after local social media channels circulated unverified claims that a young migrant had attacked an 82-year-old resident earlier in the week. Far-right groups, including those with known links to extremist organisations, called for a street protest that quickly turned confrontational.
Residents described the scenes as “deeply unsettling,” with some families barricading themselves inside their homes. Others criticised both the politicisation of the incident and the role of online misinformation in stoking tensions.
Regional authorities have confirmed that an investigation into the original assault is ongoing, but have urged the public not to conflate individual criminal acts with collective blame. “This is a town built on coexistence and agricultural work,” said a Torre-Pacheco councillor. “Inciting hatred only damages the social fabric that binds us.”
Murcia’s regional government condemned the violence and pledged zero tolerance for hate-motivated disturbances, while Spain’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed that additional Guardia Civil units remain on standby should tensions escalate further.
Torre-Pacheco, located in one of Spain’s most agriculturally productive regions, has a high percentage of migrant workers, many of whom are employed in the fruit and vegetable packing industry. Local NGOs have called for calm and reiterated the importance of “truthful information and community dialogue” in preventing further division.
Human rights observers have expressed concern that the incident reflects a wider trend of escalating anti-immigrant rhetoric, especially following recent statements by political figures from Spain’s far-right parties.
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