Eight Arrested After Anti-Migrant Riots Rock Spanish Town of Torre-Pacheco

Spanish police have arrested eight people following violent anti-migrant clashes in the southeastern town of Torre-Pacheco over the weekend, authorities confirmed on Monday.

The unrest erupted on Saturday night after a 68-year-old local man claimed he had been assaulted earlier in the week by three individuals of North African descent. The alleged attack prompted far-right groups to call for retaliation, leading to mobs roaming the streets with batons, reportedly targeting people of foreign origin.

Authorities have not confirmed the motive behind the initial assault, but the incident quickly escalated into broader violence. Mariola Guevara, the central government’s representative in Murcia, said two of the eight detainees were linked to the original assault, while the others were involved in the ensuing clashes.

Among those detained are six Spanish nationals and one North African resident, arrested for assault, vandalism, and public disturbances. Over 75 law enforcement personnel, including Civil Guard and riot units, were deployed to restore order in the town of 42,000 people—where one in three residents is foreign-born.

Local reports say some Moroccan families have closed businesses and kept children home from school, fearing further violence. Authorities are now investigating inflammatory messages shared via encrypted apps and social media, which allegedly incited attacks on migrants.

Spain’s Minister of Migration, Elma Saiz, condemned the violence, declaring: “Spain is not a country of immigrant hunting,” and blamed the far-right for stoking unrest.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska also criticized far-right party Vox and the conservative People’s Party, accusing them of “fueling the flames” through divisive rhetoric. Vox, which secured nearly 19% of the vote in Torre-Pacheco’s last municipal election, posted on social media blaming North African immigrants for the unrest.

Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz accused Vox of “setting the streets on fire with racist speeches” and exploiting fear for political gain.

Fact-checking platforms, including Verifica RTVE and Newtral, confirmed that many of the videos circulating to justify the violence were manipulated or fake. An investigation by the Civil Guard is ongoing.