Protests and Clashes Erupt in A Coruña Following Vox Rally and Police Intervention

Protests and Clashes Erupt in A Coruña Following Vox Rally and Police Intervention

Estábamos en modo pacífico. Había gente sentada con las manos en alto y de repente [los agentes] empezaron a empujar con los escudos y fue batalla campal, relatan tres manifestantes a El País regarding the police response in A Coruña. Subsequent demonstrations against police tactics during a far-right political rally turned confrontational, leaving dozens injured and multiple individuals detained across the Galician city.

Protest March Against Police Tactics Culminates in Street Clashes

An estimated 2,000 people gathered outside the Government Subdelegation in A Coruña to protest police actions that occurred earlier in the day, Europa Press reported. The initial demonstration evolved into a march through the city center toward the Government Delegation and back. By nightfall, roughly one hundred remaining participants clashed with riot police stationed near the Cantones coruñeses area.

Authorities deployed batons to disperse the crowd after participants allegedly hurled firecrackers and shouted insults at officers. In response, protesters overturned waste containers, ignited fires, and constructed impromptu barricades using construction fencing around the Obelisco to block police vehicle movement. Firefighters were dispatched to extinguish burning bins blocking streets near the Palacio de la Ópera.

Left-Wing Groups Organize Evening Demonstrations After Political Event

The mobilization unfolded under banners condemning police repression and fascism following morning disturbances at a political event hosted by Santiago Abascal, leader of the right-wing Vox party. El País reported that the gathering marked Abascal’s first pre-electoral event in Galicia, a region where Vox holds no political representation. Municipal estimates placed the counter-protest crowd at approximately 5,000 people, separated from the rally by police vans and riot officers in the Plaza de María Pita.

Left-wing nationalist and student collectives organized the evening demonstrations, including the Bloque Nacionalista Galego (BNG) youth wing Galiza Nova, Sindicato de Vivenda, Coordinadora da Mocidade Socialista, Sindicato de Estudantes, CNT, and the Riazor Blues supporters group. The Galician Government Delegation defended the morning police intervention, stating that officers charged to contain demonstrators who ignored instructions and began throwing urban furniture and other objects. The morning unrest concluded with two arrests—including a BNG youth militant—and twelve injured police officers.

Conflicting Accounts Surround Law Enforcement Response

Protest organizers and attendees characterized the police response as disproportionate and indiscriminate, according to El País. Unaffiliated participants reported that riot officers initiated physical contact without provocation against peaceful attendees sitting with their hands raised. Protesters asserted that objects were thrown only after unjustified baton strikes, while witnesses claimed officers used rubber bullets and tear gas and failed to display identification numbers upon request.

Nos estaban dando porrazos por encima de los escudos y eso no se puede hacer.

Protest participant interviewed by El País

The demonstrations highlight deep political polarization in A Coruña as local groups mobilize against the presence and platform of Vox. Authorities maintain that security forces acted to restore public order amid escalating hostility, while injured protesters and political organizations demand accountability for the methods used by antidistriot personnel.