Vox leader Santiago Abascal and the party's Catalan secretary-general, Ignacio Garriga, addressed a rally in Plaça de la Mineria, in Barcelona's Zona Franca area, according to 3CatInfo. The report said the gathering was held at 19:00 on a Friday, while an anti-fascist protest began an hour earlier in nearby Plaça Cerdà.
Video: @Santi_ABASCAL / X
The event brought restrictions around the square and police intervention near homes in Plaça de la Marina de Sants. Residents there were involved in tense exchanges with rally attendees, with stones and eggs reportedly thrown at a building façade.
Police kept the two gatherings apart
The Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia's regional police force, sealed access points to Plaça de la Mineria to prevent the two groups meeting, 3CatInfo reported. Demonstrators marched from Plaça Cerdà towards the Vox event but turned back after being unable to reach it.
- Vox said about 2,000 people attended its event.
- The Guàrdia Urbana, Barcelona's municipal police force, put attendance at the anti-fascist protest at 350 people.
- The protest ended at about 20:30 at the Can Batlló industrial complex, according to the report.
Speeches targeted Spain's national government
Abascal appealed for support from "all Spaniards" and criticised Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Garriga said Vox aimed to win influence across Catalonia and Spain, while addressing opponents who describe the party as fascist.
"Their time is running out and we will throw them into the dustbin of history," Garriga said, according to 3CatInfo.
For residents using Plaça de la Mineria, Plaça Cerdà and Plaça de la Marina de Sants, the report recorded restricted access and a police presence during the two simultaneous gatherings.
Reported by 3cat.cat, 3CatInfo Barcelona.
