Vox leader Santiago Abascal accused the central government on 22 October 2026, at an appearance in Burgos of deliberately planning and orchestrating protests against his party’s events from the Palacio de la Moncloa Abascal spoke of “organised violence” aimed at disrupting Vox rallies and intimidating supporters. He presented no verifiable evidence in his public statement for the allegation of a campaign directed from above.
The regional government in Madrid quickly rejected the claim: the Delegado del Gobierno in Madrid said, in connection with recent incidents in the capital, that the disturbances recorded did not reflect a centrally directed operation. According to him, the disruption was largely caused by the behaviour of individual “exaltados”, or a small group of particularly agitated people. Analysis of footage and initial police assessments reportedly pointed to a few violent actors rather than a broad-based structure.
The dispute comes at a time of intense mobilisation in Madrid. A teachers’ protest has been underway since mid-October, leading in several districts to demonstrations, and at times to scuffles between participants and officers. Around central squares such as Puerta del Sol political interpretations of events are hardening: opposition representatives speak of deliberate intimidation, while government representatives point to the right of assembly as well as the duty to prevent violence. Both sides are claiming the authority to define the causes of the incidents.
Regardless of the political debate, the security authorities are examining the specific sequence of events. investigation are intended to establish which people were involved in assaults and whether there are indications of coordinated groups beyond individuals acting spontaneously to cause disruption. So far, no publicly substantiated evidence has emerged to justify the conclusion that the government headquarters directed the events. At the same time, it cannot be ruled out that further analysis may reveal more extensive structures. Until such findings are available, the dispute over responsibility remains primarily political.
Abascal’s forceful allegation is in keeping with his party’s long-standing position, which portrays protests against far-right rallies as politically manipulated. By contrast, statements from Madrid stress that police interventions must remain proportionate and that misconduct will be investigated. The two sides therefore offer competing interpretations: an allegation of intent without substantiated evidence, and an official assessment that attributes the incidents to individual perpetrators and denies any broad-based direction.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).