Tensions exploded in Torre Pacheco, Spain, after a 68-year-old local man was assaulted, sparking anti-migrant riots fueled by social media misinformation. Although the video that went viral was unrelated, it ignited calls from far-right groups to attack North African migrants.
To date, 14 arrests have been made, and over 130 police officers have been deployed. Three Moroccan men are suspected in the original assault, though none are town residents.
Shops were vandalised, clashes erupted, and many migrant workers, especially from the agricultural sector, say they no longer feel safe. Spain’s government condemned the violence and opened hate crime investigations, blaming rising anti-immigration rhetoric for the unrest.
