Madrid riot police keep protesters away from far-right rally
Spanish police have used batons to prevent protesters from clashing with supporters of the far-right Vox party that chose to hold a campaign rally in a traditional left-wing Madrid district
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Spanish police used batons on Wednesday to prevent protesters from clashing with supporters of the far-right Vox party, which chose to hold a campaign rally in a traditional left-wing Madrid district.
Scuffles started when the national leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal approached a crowd gathered to protest the party rally in the working-class Vallecas neighborhood.
Riot police charged several hundred protesters to keep them away from Abascal and other members of his party, that's campaigning ahead of the May 4 regional elections in the area that includes the Spanish capital.
Vox is hoping to get enough support to prove key to the conservative Popular Party staying in power in the powerful region.
Vox erupted into Spain’s national parliament in 2019. Its 52 parliament members makes it the third-largest party in the 350-seat legislature. It has also gained ground in several regional legislatures.
The party supports rolling back the devolution of power to Spain's regional governments. It blasts unauthorized immigration and feminists, and wants to roll back gender violence laws.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.