The Spanish government fears that the riots in Torre Pacheco, in the Spanish region of Murcia, could spread across the country. Therefore, the authorities intend to require social media platforms to quickly and decisively remove content that incites hatred, the Spanish news agency EFE reported, BTA reported.
“Hatred, when fueled by lies, can spread very quickly“, a government spokesman said in connection with the unrest in Murcia, which began after the attack on a 68-year-old Spaniard. The alleged perpetrator is a 19-year-old Moroccan who was preventively detained while trying to flee to France. Two other suspects accused of being complicit in the beating have been released on temporary bail, with authorities confiscating their passports and imposing other preventive measures.
The incident sparked outrage among residents who staged protests. Far-right groups quickly joined the demonstrations after calling on social media for people from other parts of Spain to join.
Police have arrested 11 people on suspicion of involvement in the riots and seized items that could be used as weapons from more than 120 people - most of them organised groups who had arrived from other towns.
Among those arrested is a 28-year-old Spaniard who is said to be the leader of a xenophobic movement. Last week, his group incited a "hunt" for migrants in Torre Pacheco - a city of about 40,000 people with a significant immigrant community. According to the Interior Ministry, it is being investigated for an alleged hate crime, and the movement's Telegram channel, which was used to spread xenophobic messages, has been closed.
The prosecutor's office will investigate whether the protests against illegal immigration organized by José Ángel Antelo - president of the far-right Vox party in Murcia - contain elements of a crime. Related posts on social media will also be analyzed.
The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Sais, announced that she would convene a meeting with representatives of social media companies to expedite the removal of xenophobic and discriminatory content.
The Spanish Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia reported that it had identified more than 54,000 hate messages on social media.
“This is not a debate about security. This is hatred of those who are different,“ Sais said.
Human rights organizations, immigrant groups and unions are organizing a rally in Madrid tomorrow against “racism, xenophobia and hatred“, as well as against the violence and persecution of migrants in Torre Pacheco.