Spanish police have arrested nine people after three consecutive nights of anti-migrant violence in Torre Pacheco. The violence followed an alleged assault on a sixty-eight-year-old local man who reported being beaten by three youths of North African origin. Mayor Pedro Angel Roca stated that social media played a significant role in inflaming the tensions, with clashes involving outsiders damaging street equipment and breaking car windows.

The authorities have identified approximately eighty individuals involved in the unrest, many of whom reportedly have criminal records for violence. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska confirmed the Civil Guard has deployed ninety officers to manage the situation and will send additional personnel if necessary. Two individuals were arrested in relation to the assault on the elderly man, while others faced charges related to hate crimes and public disorder.

A far-right group has been accused of inciting violence through online messages urging attacks against individuals of North African descent. The Moroccan Association for the Integration of Immigrants has called for an end to the threats and violence, demanding more robust protections for those affected. Mayor Roca noted that approximately thirty percent of Torre Pacheco’s population are immigrants, primarily agricultural workers who have lived in the town for over twenty years.

According to official figures, Moroccans represent the largest segment of Spain’s foreign population, with more than nine hundred twenty thousand residing in the country. The situation underscores the ongoing challenges of integration and community relations in the region.