Around 100 people gathered this Saturday in Bonavista, in Tarragona, in a demonstration called by Vox against immigration. The march was planned to pass through several streets of the neighborhood and end in front of the worship center of the Islamic Community of Bonavista, on street 11, while an anti-fascist group had called another concentration in front of the new mosque on Onze street.
Attendees at the Vox rally carried a banner with the slogan "No to Islamization. No to mass immigration". During the route, slogans were heard such as "Spain one and without a crescent moon".
Extensive deployment to separate both mobilizations
The anti-fascist concentration gathered about 300 people. To prevent both gatherings from coinciding, the Mossos d'Esquadra, with support from the Guàrdia Urbana de Tarragona, deployed a device that encapsulated the two mobilizations.
During the march, moments of tension were experienced and some shoves were registered, although the situation did not escalate due to the police presence. It is also recorded that a demonstrator received the impact of an egg as the mobilization passed through several streets of the neighborhood.
Political criticism after the protest
The Vox deputy in the Parliament Sergio Macián criticized the police deployment and lashed out at the mayor of Tarragona, Rubén Viñuales, after the mobilization.
For his part, the mayor stated that participation was "very low", around a hundred people, and with an almost total absence of Bonavista residents.
"The call has had a very low participation, around a hundred people, and with a practically total absence of residents of Bonavista. This shows that Vox has made a fool of itself with this initiative that does not respond to a real concern of the neighborhood" - Rubén Viñuales, mayor of Tarragona
Message from the City Council about coexistence in the neighborhood
"Bonavista is a vibrant, diverse neighborhood with a coexistence that works. As a city, we do not have a coexistence problem; we have a society that, for the most part, is committed to respect and coexistence. What is concerning is the attempt by some to generate division and alarm where there is none" - Rubén Viñuales, mayor of Tarragona
"Tarragona is an open and cohesive city, and we will not allow discourses that seek to confront to break this reality. We will continue working, closely with the neighborhood, to reinforce coexistence and ensure that all neighborhoods are spaces of respect" - Rubén Viñuales, mayor of Tarragona