The decision to allow a far-right demonstration to go ahead in Las Palmas on Sunday has triggered a storm of protest.
Spain’s Interior Ministry had been urged to ban the gathering in the Gran Canaria capital due to fears that it will attract anti-immigration movements seeking to link migrants with crime and may well escalate into street violence.
The protest has been widely publicised on social media, particularly since an incident earlier in the week when a young Moroccan, who had arrived illegally by boat in the Canaries in June, was arrested after a girl was allegedly set on fire in a late-night incident in the city.
Almost 40 associations have signed a collective petition calling on the authorities to review the decision to authorise the rally, arguing that a much tougher line has been taken on pro-Palestine demonstrations, which have led to what they say are “totally groundless” fines and other punishments for participants.
The associations also slammed the decision to allow the organisers to hold a press conference near a city centre facility that houses migrants, a move they said was deliberately provocative.
However, Interior Ministry officials say there is no evidence to suggest Sundays gathering is designed to incite hatred or will lead to public order offences, and there is no reason to ban it.
