A Coruña, one of Galicia's largest cities in northwest Spain, saw a second night of confrontations between protesters and riot police on Wednesday, following a rally by Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox party, in the city's central María Pita square.
The trouble began earlier in the day, when around 5,000 people — according to the city council — turned out to protest against Abascal's appearance, his first pre-election event in Galicia, where Vox currently holds no elected seats at any level. Two demonstrators were arrested and several people were injured in the initial disturbances. Police charges began after Abascal and his supporters had left the square, with some protesters throwing stones, eggs and firecrackers at officers, who responded with rubber bullets and gas. Bar furniture belonging to local businesses was damaged in the scuffles.
By evening, a further demonstration — this one not formally notified to authorities — drew roughly 2,500 people to the city's central government offices. It ended in renewed disorder: rubbish containers set alight (local broadcaster Radio Coruña counted 27 burned), barricades erected, traffic disrupted on routes into the city and along the Avenida do Porto, and more injuries. Firefighters were still dealing with fires after the last protesters dispersed past 11pm.
The political fallout was immediate. People's Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo posted a video supporting the police, though El País reported the clip omitted footage of an officer pushing a young man down steps moments earlier. The Galician Nationalist Bloc demanded explanations from Madrid over what organisers called disproportionate, indiscriminate policing. Abascal's campaigning also moved on to Avilés in Asturias, where a separate protest ended with three arrests and further injuries.
For travellers: if you're visiting A Coruña or nearby cities in the coming days, keep an eye on local news and avoid large street gatherings, particularly around María Pita square and government buildings, where protests have clustered. Demonstrations here have continued into late evening, and road closures and burned containers have disrupted traffic in and out of the city centre. Spain's tourist areas elsewhere remain unaffected — this is a localised political flashpoint rather than broad unrest — but anyone staying near the old city should plan around possible evening disruption and check with accommodation if events are scheduled nearby.
