Clashes at unauthorised far-right rally in Zaragoza leave 7 police hurt, 5 held
Police clashed with counter-protesters after activist Vito Quiles held an unauthorised rally at the University of Zaragoza, leaving seven officers injured and five people arrested.
Police clashed with counter-protesters in Zaragoza on Thursday after far-right activist Vito Quiles held a rally the University of Zaragoza had not authorised, leaving seven officers injured and five people arrested, Spain's National Police said.
The five detained face charges of assault on law enforcement officers and public disorder over the unrest, police said. Their identities and any group affiliation were not disclosed. An earlier report by the Spanish news agency EFE put the number of injured officers at eight; police later confirmed seven, a figure repeated by ElDiario.es and La Voz de Galicia.
Quiles had called supporters to gather at 7pm at the university's law faculty in Zaragoza, the capital of the Aragon region, which the institution had not approved. The event began late and moved to Plaza San Francisco, where Quiles gave a speech, before participants headed towards the Auditorio, ElDiario.es reported.
Counter-protesters, mobilised by the Coordinadora Antifascista de Zaragoza and outnumbering Quiles' supporters, clashed with them through insults and thrown bottles and boxes, according to ElDiario.es. Tension rose when Quiles positioned himself between the two groups, and police kept the two sides apart for much of the evening before eventually charging at the antifascist demonstrators with batons and pepper spray.
One witness told ElDiario.es Aragón she saw a person with head injuries and several protesters affected by pepper spray in the eyes; police have only confirmed the seven injured officers. The Antifascist Coordinator said it had mobilised against what it called Quiles' "hate speech," while Quiles had urged his followers to come to Zaragoza to show the city was "loyal to Spain" and to rise up against what he called "Sanchez's mafia."
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What we know
- 1 outlet · ElDiario.es, EFE +1 Five people were arrested on suspicion of assaulting police and public disorder during the unrest in Zaragoza, police said.
- 2+ outlets · EFE, La Voz de Galicia Seven police officers from the Intervention Unit were injured, described as minor, police said; an initial EFE report had put the figure at eight.
- 2+ outlets · ElDiario.es, EFE +1 The unauthorised rally by activist Vito Quiles was not approved by the University of Zaragoza.
- 1 outlet · ElDiario.es, EFE +1 Counter-protesters organised by the Coordinadora Antifascista de Zaragoza clashed with Quiles' supporters before police intervened.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed The extent of injuries to protesters, beyond the seven officers police confirmed, has not been officially detailed.
- Unconfirmed The identities and any group affiliation of those arrested have not been disclosed.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Figure history
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Why it matters for Europe
The clashes are the latest example of unauthorised appearances by Quiles, who has held similar events in other Spanish cities, drawing counter-mobilisations and straining local police resources each time. The unrest adds to a tense period for Spanish public order policing around far-right rallies and the protests they attract, with the National Police again having to separate two opposing groups of demonstrators for most of an evening, as officers did in Zaragoza before the situation escalated.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- ElDiario.es: El acto de Vito Quiles no autorizado en la Universidad de Zaragoza termina con varios detenidos y agentes heridos
- EFE: Cinco detenidos y ocho agentes heridos tras el acto de Vito Quiles en Zaragoza
- La Voz de Galicia: Cinco detenidos y siete agentes heridos tras el acto de Vito Quiles en Zaragoza
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Zaragoza?
- Police clashed with counter-protesters after activist Vito Quiles held an unauthorised rally at the University of Zaragoza.
- How many people were hurt or arrested?
- Seven police officers were injured and five people were arrested, Spain's National Police said.
- Why wasn't the rally authorised?
- The University of Zaragoza had not approved Quiles' event at its law faculty, though he held it anyway.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.