A man in the Catalan city of Tarragona was arrested after allegedly attempting to attack Spanish populist leader Santiago Abascal as he campaigned in the region for his anti-mass migration VOX party.
The alleged attacker, who has yet to be identified publicly, was seen approaching the VOX boss on Friday before attempting to punch him. Fortunately, Abascal’s bodyguards successfully blocked the attack and subdued the man in question.
According to the ABC newspaper, the man was seen wearing a T-shirt with symbols typically associated with the Marxist Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA/Basque Fatherland and Liberty) separatist terror group, which advocated for the Basque region of Spain to gain independence before officially disbanding in 2018.
The VOX leader has been openly critical of the Basque independence movement, and previously vowed to ban separatist parties.
For his part, Abascal condemned the attack, but told his supporters in Barcelona on Saturday that he would not let the incident prevent him from touring the region further while advocating for “repatriations, deportations, and remigration.
“We want strong borders, safe streets, free women, and Spaniards who come first in their own homeland. That’s what we fight for. And nothing will stop us,” he said.
Referring to the would-be attacker, the VOX leader added: “This is what the violent cannot stand, like the Tarragona aggressor, that their neighbours show us their affection and their support.”
The attempted attack reportedly came amid a left-wing protest against VOX and Abascal for merely campaigning in Tarragona. They were heard chanting “fascists out of our neighbourhoods” at the populist politician.
The leader of the Conservative People’s Party (PP) and longtime opponent of Abascal’s, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, said of the incident: “My solidarity with Santiago Abascal. In democratic Spain, no one can be attacked for defending their ideas.”
Like many right-wing populist parties across Europe, VOX is no stranger to political violence. Indeed, in 2023, the founder of the party, Alejo Vidal-Quadras (78), was shot and killed by a motorcycle gang after leaving a Madrid church in 2023. It has been alleged that the assassins were linked to Iran.
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