On Thursday, 22 October, National Police used batons and pepper spray near the University of Zaragoza, mainly against antifascist protesters, according to La Vanguardia and eldiario.es.
The University of Zaragoza had refused use of its facilities earlier in the week, so Quiles moved the 19:00 event to Plaza de San Francisco, where he arrived at about 20:00.
A young man who confronted Quiles was left bleeding after several blows from Quiles's followers, according to La Vanguardia, and at least one person was injured in the day's incidents.
Vito Quiles was due to speak at the Faculty of Law of the University of Zaragoza at 19:00 on Thursday, 22 October, the third stop on a tour under the slogan 'Mafia o Patria'. The university had refused permission for the event earlier in the week, but Quiles kept the call open until the last minute. Antifascist student groups began gathering on campus about an hour before, and hundreds of people chanted slogans including 'Zaragoza will be the grave of fascism'. A smaller group of Quiles supporters, some waving Spanish flags, waited across a street with police between the two sides. Insults and objects were exchanged, and officers then charged with batons and pepper spray, mainly against the antifascist protesters. The event had already been controversial for days, and La Razón described it as part of Quiles's 'Tour Combativos II' across Spanish campuses.
Unable to enter the campus, Quiles relocated the event to the nearby Plaza de San Francisco, arriving at about 20:00 surrounded by bodyguards. Protesters ran from the campus to the square, where no police cordon had been set up, and the two groups were separated only by the tram tracks. Standing on an improvised platform, Quiles attacked the government of Pedro Sánchez and 'the reds', urging supporters to throw them out in the elections on 20 November. According to La Vanguardia, a young man from the opposing side confronted him, and Quiles's followers then struck him several times, leaving him bleeding on the ground. The same paper reported that Quiles had met Argentine president Javier Milei briefly the day before.
Quiles also posted on X a video of the protest with a message that quickly spread and drew strong reactions online.
“These people will join anything just so they don't have to go to class. How barbaric.”
Many users criticised the remark for belittling a mobilisation by university groups, while others backed him. The university said it would act under the applicable rules and its own provisions on the use of its spaces, in order to stop campuses becoming scenes of mobilisation or vehicles for electoral messages. It stressed the need to preserve neutrality ahead of the elections and to keep its facilities for teaching, research and the wider university community.
Police eventually escorted Quiles and his bodyguards at a run to a nearby car park, from which he left the city. During the event, some of his supporters sang the Francoist anthem 'Cara al sol', which drew comment from commentators on social media. ABC reported that riot police dispersed the demonstrators near the Faculty of Law. María Claver, quoted by eldiario.es, put the wider significance in stark terms.
“What is happening is the breakdown of coexistence in Spain.”
Claver argued that such a rupture would take a very long time to repair, if it can be repaired at all.
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Quiles could not enter the University of Zaragoza campus on Thursday, 22 October, so he moved his event to a nearby square, where clashes between supporters and antifascist protesters continued until police escorted him out of the city.
AI text based on reports by LaVanguardia, EL PAÍS, LaSexta and other publishers. Published .