In Oviedo the political dispute has escalated following an attack during the Fiestas de San Mateo On 21 September 2026, the Socialist spokesperson on the city council, Carlos Fernández Llaneza (PSOE), described the mayor’s latest public remarks Alfredo Canteli as unworthy of a city leader. “He does not deserve to represent the people of Oviedo,” Llaneza said, calling on the mayor to apologise to those affected in person.
The background is a violent attack on two members of AMA Asturies in the early hours of 11 September 2026. According to consistent reports, the incident took place at a festival caseta near Plaza de la Catedral, where a confrontation broke out in connection with the removal of an anti-racist flag and an LGBTI flag. According to the Policía Nacional five people were arrested and another identified. Investigators are examining a possible hate crime; witnesses said homophobic and racist insults had been shouted.
Llaneza accused the city leadership of responding too late and inadequately in the days after the attack. His criticism is directed specifically at the tone and content of Canteli’s remarks about the incident. It remains unclear what legal consequences the attack will have; the Policía Nacional investigation is ongoing. It is not currently possible to make any claims about the criminal responsibility of those accused.
The attack prompted several vigils and protest rallies in Oviedo. The affected caseta reported vandalism in the days that followed. Civil society groups and some opposition parties are pressing for clearer protection of symbols opposing racism and supporting LGBTI rights at city festivals, as well as a reliable framework for safety at the festival site. Canteli’s supporters, meanwhile, criticise the account of events as exaggerated and politically motivated.
Politically, the case is intensifying the already heated debate over how to deal with politically and ideologically motivated violence in Asturias. The city administration faces the question of how it can better balance freedom to celebrate, public order and protection from discriminatory violence in future. No specific decisions had been made by 21 September. The core facts remain unchanged: two people were attacked during San Mateo, investigators are pursuing a suspected hate crime, and five people suspected of involvement were arrested.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).