Comments by Oviedo mayor Alfredo Canteli drew widespread criticism on Sunday, 13 September. Referring to the perpetrators of an assault on two members of the Asamblea Moza de Asturies (AMA) during the San Mateo festivities, Canteli said he did not believe “they are such bad people”, and made a general reference to the “phenomenal young people” in Oviedo. He also said he did not know “what happened”, knew “only some of the accounts that have been given” and did not know “who the perpetrators are”. Left-wing parties called for him to correct his remarks.
The assault took place during the night of Wednesday 9 into Thursday 10 September, near the Plaza de la Catedral, as volunteers were clearing away equipment after the event. Those affected included former councillor Rubén Rosón and another activist. Both received medical treatment, according to media reports. A day later, on Saturday 12 September, several thousand people filled Plaza de la Catedral for a rally against violence.
Outrage over Canteli’s words stems from two points. First, he has been accused of playing down the assault. Second, he personally attacked one of the victims, Rubén Rosón, by referring to a fine imposed years ago for drinking alcohol in a public space. Representatives of the left-wing opposition and civil society initiatives criticised this as a distraction from the assault and an attempt to discredit a victim.
The rally was also attended by members of the city council, including the councillor responsible for festivals, Covadonga Díaz and the councillor for security, José Ramón Prado, both from the Partido Popular. The police are investigating; by the time of publication, there had been no publicly confirmed information about arrests or charges.
The time and location of the assault, the identity of one of those affected, the scale of the protests and the mayor’s remarks as quoted are confirmed. The description of the incident as “fascist” comes from statements by parties, organisations and rally participants. Apart from the attendance of individual councillors mentioned above, the town hall had initially issued no official clarification of Canteli’s remarks.
The incident involves competing interests: while the opposition is calling for an investigation and for the mayor to distance himself from his comments, Canteli points to the pending investigation. Pressure on the town hall is likely to continue until the police and the courts identify those involved and clarify the circumstances of the attack.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).