Anti-fascist protest as far-right Vox mark one year in Catalan parliament
Party leader Santiago Abascal attends Cornellà event celebrating 11 seats won in 135-member chamber
Anti-fascist protesters demonstrated on Wednesday evening as far-right Vox held an event marking one year since they entered the Catalan parliament for the first time.
With party leader Santiago Abascal attending the event in Auditori de Cornellà on the outskirts of Barcelona, Unity Against Fascism and Racism Cornellà called protesters to gather at Cornellà-Riera train station at 7pm.
Around 150 to 200 demonstrators took part, holding banners saying 'Stop Vox', 'Cornellà free from sexism, racism and LGBTI-phobia' and 'Anti-fascist Cornellà' and chanting "fascists get out of our neighborhoods" and, again, "Anti-fascist Cornellà."
Some politicians could be seen among the crowd as it made its way through the streets, such as Xavier Pellicer, an MP for the far-left CUP.
As the crowd approached the venue where the Vox event was due to kick off at 8pm, Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, formed a barricade to halt their advance, with several vans and dozens of officers, including some in riot gear.
🎥 Anti-fascist protesters demonstrate as far-right Vox hold event in Cornellà on the outskirts of Barcelona
— Catalan News (@catalannews) June 1, 2022
'Cornellà free from sexism, racism and LGBTI-phobia' reads one of the banners on display
More: https://t.co/6i8f4ZVCmo pic.twitter.com/7qiGOT0AMv
Far-right in parliament
Vox gained 7.69% of the vote in the Catalan election of February 2021, winning 11 seats in the 135-member chamber. That marked the first time that a far-right party entered the Catalan parliament.
A pro-independence government was eventually formed in May 2021, with Esquerra's Pere Aragonès appointed president.