The noisy Spanish nationalist protests outside Socialist (PSOE) headquarters on Calle Ferraz, Madrid - coinciding with strong anti-PSOE and anti-amnesty expressions from right-wing voices in different institutions - have shaken up politics. Social media has been flooded with images and photographs of the protesters on Monday night, many of them extremists, who wanted to show their disgust with the acting Spanish PM, Pedro Sánchez, for seeking to secure his continuity in government in exchange for giving an amnesty to the leaders of the Catalan independence process. The scenes in Madrid on Monday were particularly violent, with police arresting three people for attacks on police and using smoke canisters and batons against protesters. The ultras then vented their displeasure on the police. "Tweety-pies, you are Tweety-pies. You should have been thrown into the sea in Barcelona", was one of the most popular, using the nickname which the Spanish National police acquired in Catalonia in 2017.
But who exactly is behind this protest? Well, the demonstration was organized by an association called Revuelta ("Revolt"), about which not a great deal is yet known. Its Twitter account was created in July this year, and it did not become active until the end of September. In fact, behind this platform is none other than Vox. The far-right party has already become expert at creating anonymous brands to infiltrate different groups. It did the same thing with Barrios Seguros ("Safe Neighbourhoods"), a Catalonia-based organization that spreads racist and xenophobic messages directed at "squatting, illegal immigration, delinquency and crime" in the peripheral districts of large Catalan cities. And there is also Solidaridad, a fake trade union that seeks to attract Spanish workers to distance them from the working-class organizations.
'Revuelta' is another such group, this one made up mainly of right-wing Spanish youth. Its founding manifesto shows its close affinities with the ideas of the far-right. "We are a patriotic and unitary movement of Spain that firmly embraces our Spanish identity, as well as the roots in hispanicity and in Europe", they affirm. Despite this, they declare themselves opposed to the European Union for being, precisely, "anti-European" because it "promotes massive and uncontrolled immigration to our continent, which will lead to a Europe in which Europeans lose control of their own nations".
The spokesperson for the organization is César Enrique Pintado Planell, linked to the media outlet HerQles, who claims to be "the voice of countercultural youth who do not see themselves reflected in a decadent society". He was seen on October 30th giving a speech at an ultra demonstration in Plaza de Colón, in Madrid, again against the Catalan pro-independence amnesty, standing next to Vox leader Santiago Abascal. During that address, he already criticized that the Spanish government, "supported by the separatist minorities", had "overlooked and whitewashed a coup d'état in Catalonia". In the face of this drift, Pintado offered a forceful antidote. "Young people not only have the opportunity, but also the responsibility to stand up and organize a great youth revolt to reclaim Spain," he said.
'Revuelta' heads the new protests
This Monday's protests in front of Socialists offices in 11 cities around the Spanish state were attended by representatives of Vox, among them Santiago Abascal himself at the PSOE headquarters in Madrid. This Tuesday, further actions were called in the same locations, and again 'Revuelta' was set to be a driving force. In a post on social media thus Tuesday, the group encouraged people to continue mobilizing against the amnesty "and the traitorous Spanish government". "While waiting for what the organizers of today's rallies will announce, the most important thing is that throughout Spain the commitment to take to the streets is maintained," the group continues. "Let's not fall for the provocations of those who seek to sow disunity among the Spanish people."