Police break up anti-fascist protest in Spain

Obdurate · #1 03-03-08, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Sunday, March 02 2008 @ 07:13 PM PST

Spanish police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at anti-fascist protesters in central Madrid as they tried to stop a right-wing rally near an immigrant area of the city. Anti-fascists threw rocks behind burning barricades in narrow cobbled streets on Friday and at least one car was set alight. Hundreds of far-right activists, separated from left-wing protesters by lines of riot police, gave Nazi salutes.

Spanish police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at anti-fascist protesters in central Madrid as they tried to stop a right-wing rally near an immigrant area of the city.

Anti-fascists threw rocks behind burning barricades in narrow cobbled streets on Friday and at least one car was set alight.

Hundreds of far-right activists, separated from left-wing protesters by lines of riot police, gave Nazi salutes.

The violence comes just over a week before Spaniards vote in a general election where immigration has become a major issue for the first time.

Reports said more than 1,000 anti-fascists gathered to protest the far-right meeting in Tirso de Molina, a few hundred metres from Madrid's main square, after local authorities sanctioned the rally.

'Racist demonstrations'

Posters had been pasted on walls in the area earlier in the week warning of a racist demonstration.

Protesters, joined immigrants, blocked roads leading down into Lavapies, an area with a large African and Chinese populations.

Demonstrators chanted "You shall not pass," and "Brother Carlos, we will not forget you", referring to 16-year-old Carlos Javier Palomino, an anti-racist protester who was stabbed and killed during a confrontation with rival groups in November.

A spokesman for Madrid's ambulance service said nobody had been injured. One media source said a protester had been blinded in one eye.

Anti-fascist protesters also threw bricks through the windows of several banks and smashed up offices inside, eyewitnesses said.

The number of immigrants living in Spain has increased fivefold in the last 10 years and now account for nine per cent of Spain's 45 million people.

The opposition Popular Party calls immigration a "problem" and proposes measures to compel immigrants to integrate, including restricting the use of Islamic headscarves.

The ruling Socialist party has dismissed the Popular Party proposals as xenophobic.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D943591F-1C4A-4129-A6C3-096FDEDBDE46.htm

Police breaking up anti-fascist protests? There's something comical in there that hopefully I don't have to say.
Bolded part is awesome.

Underlined part reminds me of why I'm always pissed off.

And everybody should donate some money to Infoshop.org | Just Say No to the Democrats and Republicans

Justin.Robar · #2 03-03-08, 10:25 AM

Well I think it's important here to note that Spain WAS a Fascist state for thirty years under Franco (see: Pan's Labyrinth), and there is still a very large Fascist contingent in Spain. So stuff like this is bound to happen. We're treading lightly on the "right to free speech" argument here.

And yeah it's pretty funny that ANTI-FASCIST PROTESTERS would fuck up a rigid governmental institution like a bank.

indieover · #3 03-08-08, 05:20 PM

i am not really familiar with those fascist. well i think i have never heard that rally before on the news. i thought spain was a peaceful country. well compared to our country though i think it is still peaceful though.

Obdurate · #4 03-08-08, 09:18 PM

There's shit hitting the fan everywheres.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode