Racist anti-migrant signs cause uproar in Spanish tourist town
Warning signs showing an attack on an elderly woman were placed by an extremist group in Puerto de la Cruz
A far-right group has sparked fury after placing racist warning signs in a popular tourist area of Tenerife, depicting violence against an elderly woman in what local politicians have condemned as blatant “incitement to hatred”.
The shocking posters appeared over the weekend in Puerto de la Cruz, a busy resort town in the north of the island. Designed to look like official traffic signs, they feature an orange background with a black silhouette showing a man attacking an older woman and stealing her walking stick.
The signs claim to warn of danger in a “multicultural zone” and bear the signature of Falangist Youth of Spain, a far-right organisation.
Residents discovered the propaganda at the junction of calles Blanco, Dr. Ingram and Iriarte, although another sign has since been reported in the nearby municipality of Los Realejos, in the El Toscal-Longuera area.
The Socialist Party in Puerto de la Cruz was quick to condemn what it described as “vile propaganda that targets people based on their origin and sows fear where there has always been coexistence.”
The party, led by former mayor Marco González, is now demanding that the current People's Party (PP) government remove the signs immediately and issue a joint condemnation from all political parties.
Mr González didn't mince his words about the severity of the incident. “It's an attack on freedom and democracy, and above all, it has nothing to do with the model of society we've built and that Puerto de la Cruz has always been,” he said.
Current mayor Leopoldo Afonso, from the People's Party, was equally unequivocal in his response. He acknowledged that the posters were created by “an outdated political party with which we have nothing to do” and emphasised the town's long history of multiculturalism.
“Unfortunately, we live in a time when extremism is on the rise. I condemn it firmly and unequivocally,” Mr Afonso added.
The PSOE in Los Realejos has also spoken out after the second poster was found in their area, posting on their municipal Instagram account: “We strongly condemn the posters of hatred and fascist character.”
Image: PSOE Los Realejos
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