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Tensions flare in Torre Pacheco as anti-migrant unrest fuels fear of far-right incitement
Authorities are blaming out-of-town agitators for anti-immigrant violence as residents call for calm and coexistence
The town of Torre Pacheco, in Spain’s southeastern Region of Murcia, has been gripped by two nights of unrest after extremist groups used a recent assault on an elderly man to incite violence against foreign residents.
The protests, which began under the guise of public concern for safety, quickly escalated into street violence and intimidation, leaving five people injured and one arrested.
Although the 68-year-old victim of the assault has said his attackers were of North African origin, the incident is still under investigation and no formal charges have been filed.
Nevertheless, far-right groups seized upon the case, calling for a so-called “hunt” against migrants, particularly those of Moroccan descent, fuelling racial tension in a town where nearly half the population is of foreign origin.
According to eyewitnesses and local authorities, the violence has not been led by local residents but rather by groups arriving from outside the municipality.
“They came to provoke us because they know we live here,” said Omar, a 25-year-old who has lived in Spain for two decades. “They weren’t our neighbours. They were strangers, stirred up online to come here.”
The town’s San Antonio neighbourhood, which is home to a large Moroccan-Spanish community, became the focal point of violence this Saturday July 12. Ayoub, who runs a corner shop there, described the scene as “like a movie” with masked men roaming the streets and shouting abuse.
Police responded by deploying over 50 officers to separate groups and restore order, but the sense of insecurity lingers. Fátima, a young doctor who grew up in San Antonio, said she was terrified for her younger relatives.
“How do you ask a 19-year-old not to step outside? We’re scared in our own homes,” she said.
Government delegate Mariola Guevara strongly condemned what she described as “xenophobic calls to unrest” and said more arrests were expected.
“Many of those inciting hatred and disorder are being identified,” she told public broadcaster TVE. “This violence didn’t come from Torre Pacheco; it was brought in to generate division.”
The town’s mayor, Pedro Ángel Roca, of the conservative Partido Popular, echoed those sentiments, calling for calm.
“Violence won’t solve anything,” he said. “People from outside our town are coming in and turning a local issue into something dangerous.”
While most mainstream political figures have urged restraint, far-right groups have taken a more confrontational approach. Vox, whose regional leader José Ángel Antelo attended a rally in the town on Saturday, directly linked immigration to crime and public disorder.
“We’re going to deport them all: not a single one will remain,” he said, drawing criticism for inflaming racial tensions.
It comes in the wake of comments by Vox spokesperson Rocío de Meer in Madrid last week of deporting every single foreigner in Spain, even those living in the country legally.
Podemos spokesperson María Marín and Youth Minister Sira Rego were among those who warned of rising hate speech and scapegoating. “The far right and its supporters point the finger, and their thugs act,” Rego said on social media.
The events in Torre Pacheco reflect a broader political trend in parts of Europe, where isolated criminal incidents are increasingly used by extremist groups to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment.
Critics argue that such exploitation not only undermines social cohesion but also jeopardises public safety by distracting from the real issues of crime prevention and justice.
As investigations continue and tensions remain high, many residents, both foreign-born and native, are taking to the streets in an anti-protest to call not just for security but for a renewed commitment to peaceful coexistence and a night of calm in the town.
“We all want the same thing,” said Omar. “To feel safe, to be respected, and to live without fear, no matter where we come from.”
Image: Ayuntamiento de Torre Pacheco
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