Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox, stirs up "Sánchez's traps" and "the violence of his militias" in a tense event in A Coruña

Thousands of people gathered this Wednesday in María Pita square in A Coruña to protest against the far-right Vox and the presence of Santiago Abascal. The concentration brought together nearly 5,000 participants, according to the estimate provided by the City Council, compared to the hundreds of sympathizers who came to listen to the far-right leader. Abascal responded by linking the mobilization to Pedro Sánchez's "accomplices and partners" and later spread a message about the violence of "his militias."

The day ended with police charges, two arrests, and injuries among protesters, officers, and journalists. The reports communicated during the afternoon include twelve police officers injured, in addition to several participants in the protest and two information professionals injured. The figures have been increasing since the first incidents, and there is no single consolidated balance that allows for specifying the total number of affected individuals.

The mobilization began around eleven in the morning, an hour before Abascal's appearance, with the participation of youth, student, and housing organizations. Galiza Nova, the youth wing of the BNG, and the Coordenadora da Mocidade Socialista were among the conveners. "A Coruña is anti-fascist," "They shall not pass," and "No person is illegal" were some of the slogans of a protest separated from the far-right event by a large National Police deployment.

Charges, injuries, and complaints about police action

The clashes occurred after Abascal left the square. There were throws of eggs and other objects against the police cordon and subsequent charges by riot police. During the incidents, stones and terrace furniture were also thrown, while officers used rubber bullets and gases to disperse the protesters. The chases extended through the streets near the City Council and the San Agustín area. The two arrests were made for alleged crimes of assault against agents of authority and public disorder.

The BNG has denounced "absolutely disproportionate" and unjustified charges against what it considers a peaceful mobilization, in addition to the aggression against a Galiza Nova militant. The nationalist municipal spokesperson, Avia Veira, has stated on her social media that the Police did not inform those gathered that the event had ended so that they could disperse. From Podemos, Aitor Neira has demanded explanations and MEP Irene Montero has expressed her solidarity with those affected by what she has described as police repression. The organizers have announced new concentrations in front of the Government Subdelegation.

The socialist mayor, Inés Rey, has condemned the violent acts and the damage to people and businesses, while defending the behavior of those who came to peacefully demonstrate against fascism. The mayor has attributed the episodes of vandalism to the actions of some violent individuals within a massive gathering and has conveyed her support to the injured and affected merchants.

The municipal PP has rejected attempts to boycott political acts and threats against their attendees, and has called for reflection from the parties that, in their opinion, encourage such behaviors. For their part, the police unions Jupol and CEP have condemned the aggressions against the agents and have demanded accountability from the Government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, and the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, for the deployed operation.

Abascal seeks a seat and again stirs up electoral fraud

Abascal had turned his appearance before the press into an act of electoral mobilization against Sánchez, amidst shouts from his followers such as "Christian Spain, not Muslim" and insults to the President of the Government. The ultra leader linked the demonstrators to the "migratory invasion" and thanked the riot police for their protection. Afterwards, on X, he called for massive participation on 29N to prevent "Sánchez's tricks and the violence of his militias" from preventing clean elections, without accrediting a direction of the protests from the Government.

The accusations of electoral manipulation prolong the discourse he used on Tuesday in Ponferrada, where he also questioned the fairness of the process and asked people to distrust the polls. In A Coruña, he again presented the mobilization of his electorate as a response to alleged tricks and the violence he attributes to his adversaries. In another message, he celebrated the support of the sympathizers who came to María Pita, whom he called "brave Coruñeses" and assured that he would not disappoint them.

His visit has a specific electoral objective in a community where he still has no deputies in Congress or in the Galician Parliament. Abascal has acknowledged that he has "a thorn in his side in Galicia" and has stated that he is disputing a seat with the left in A Coruña. The province elects eight representatives, which in 2023 were distributed among the PP, with four; the PSOE, with two; Sumar and the BNG, with one each. Vox obtained 34,410 votes and was left out. The expectation expressed by its leader constitutes an aspiration of the party, without having presented data in the appearance that would allow that deputy to be taken for granted.

At the same time, Abascal keeps conversations open with the PP for the Senate, although he has avoided explaining his conditions or the status of the contacts. Asked about a possible reform of the Constitution, he has not ruled it out, but neither has he announced a concrete proposal. A majority in the Upper House would not be enough by itself to change the constitutional text, which also requires the intervention of Congress and compliance with the corresponding procedure.

The ultra leader has also claimed his relationship with Javier Milei, whom he considers his "friend and political ally", and has announced that he would contact him during his visit to Spain, although he does not plan to meet personally on this occasion. Regarding the application of cuts similar to those of the Argentine president, he has avoided specifying measures and has pointed out that "the chainsaw in many things falls short and in others is excessive".