“Spain has just woken up, sons of bitches,” a retiree bellows behind the oxygen mask of an ambulance. In the background, the riot this Monday night in front of the federal headquarters of the PSOE, broken up with batons and gas by the Police. The video, only a few seconds and digital OK Diary, has gone viral in far-right echo chambers of social networks. It is already a mobilizing claim, brand image of the increasingly angry campaign against Pedro Sánchez and the amnestyand is on its way to establishing itself as the “Let Txapote vote for you.”
The ultra activist used the imprecation, converted into a spot, on this Tuesday morning, after the hectic night. Luis del Pino, one of the main cheerleaders of these escraches. On the social network And everyone will have to “choose whether you are with Spain or with the sons of bitches.”
And this disturbing message is a sample of what is behind the apocryphal gatherings of thousands of people in front of the PSOE headquarters. This type of event follows the model of the Bolsonarist disorders in Brazil, or those of the yellow vests in France, or Trumpism in the United States: no one organizes (supposedly), no one goes to the Government Delegation to warn that the public roads will be occupied; as well as in certain phases of the processeseverything moves a nebula in social networks and only after a week have political leaders begun to show their faces.
Conveners who do not convene
Telegram, X, Facebook and Instagram channels are the medium. And also the turbo word of mouth of the Whatsapp chats. There is no one origin, but dozens, and from there the time, already known by the entire community, is distributed in a cascade: “In Ferraz at 8 pm.” Nobody takes responsibility: it’s something they’ve heard and that counts…
In the landscape of ringers of calls and slogans -”Me to Ferraz”, “See you in Ferraz”, “This afternoon in Ferraz”…- famous figures from that world stand out. There are four most notable: as a pioneer of the concentrations in front of PSOE headquarters, Javier Negre, promoter of the propaganda webTV EDATV. And almost simultaneously the aforementioned Luis del Pino, the activist of Cameroonian origin Bertrand Ndongo -”God, country and family” is his motto – and, reigning on Telegram, a spreader of leaks and conspiracy theories, Alvise Perezvery followed in that sector.
A tweeter also shows intense activity in the mobilization of the protesters, Ruben Gisbert, converted into president of the Democratic Junta of Spain. That entity made itself known by delegitimizing the electoral process of 23J. In his calls he has had the support of the famous Colonel Pedro Bañosa prominent member of the club of lecturers and teachers of strategic postulates similar to those of the Russians during the current war in Ukraine.
A deputy and leader of Vox in Madrid participate in the agitation, Ana Cuartero, and, from Barcelona, the municipal leader of that formation, Jordi de la Fuente.
But all these figures risk being overshadowed by the latest addition in search of fame and medals: Daniel Esteve, leader of Desokupa, who has announced with a bang on the networks that he will attend the escraches. With this he wants to comply, she says, with the request that “police friends” would have made of him. of “wake up the sleeping nation.”
Swarm
Taking advantage of the publication of a recent book, the former parliamentary spokesperson and former leader of Vox Macarena Olonapointed out the former PP deputy in the Parliament of Catalonia and entrepreneur of audiovisual projects -El Toro TV, Intereconomía…- Julio Ariza as a designer of all types of ultra training media campaigns.
But no communication design works without bearings. Once issued by the platoon heads, all types of microbloggers related to the so-called altright Spanish – there is even an account with that Anglo-Saxon name – move the ads, giving the impression that it is a massive mobilization.
There are many in that swarm accounts with an assumed name, with barely 100 followers, or enormous tweeters, with acolytes provided by a bot farm, State Security sources point out. In this barrage, there are also accounts that are supposedly pro-military, or that have been analyzed asor reproducers of Kremlin narratives in Spain.
On the internet it seems like a crowd; The reality at eight in the afternoon in Madrid later shows that it is not so, although it is true that the protests against the PSOE and its town houses they are growing in influx.
First line
The Police riot police attacked a very enervated front line of the concentration this Monday in front of the federal headquarters of the PSOE. The protagonists in that escrache area -“ultra aesthetics”, the report states of the facts according to sources from the National Police – are also showing what inflames this tumor of right-wing anger.
It has been released in these protests Revolt, the youth branch of Voxalthough before national spokesperson, César Pintado, he was given a place on the Madrid lectern of speakers at the “for unity” demonstration. summoned by Denaes (Vox seed foundation) and others on October 29.
Revuelta brings its first members to the riots, but also makes waves a banner fresh from the printing press and installs large speakers to liven up the event with the Spanish anthem.
However, on the most bristly front line on Monday night, not so much the Vox youth as a group of Falangists, including Martin Ynestrillas and several of the prosecuted for the attack on an event at the Blanquerna bookstore in September 2013.
Police sources also report the presence of activists from the neo-fascist and xenophobic entity Hogar Social Madrid.
Searching for space
Other guests participate in the rallies and their apocryphal calls, such as the Union of Brigadesfounded in the metropolitan area of Barcelona by activists who went out in 2028 and 2019 at night tear off yellow ties on public roads.
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Also one until now little known National Association of Civic Third Partieswhat with Dissent and other entities, is part of the orbit of the voxist activism.
But not everything is pure political associationism of the new Spanish extreme right. Initiatives to occupy platforms and create a cultural sphere are also being mobilized. traces of those that came out of 15M. Among the most curious, a clothing brand. Si Podemos had his 189, whose chav-style polos and jackets he wore Pablo Iglesias, this movement imitates the idea with a brand, Canallita, which manufactures clothing and caps “for unapologetic males,” says its advertising. In the riots against the amnesty they carry out commercial advertising as well as political propaganda: they carry a large flag of Spain with his name occupying the entire gualda strip.