In Madrid, against the backdrop of large-scale street actions against the Spanish government's migration policy, protesters linked to the far-right movement Núcleo Nacional displayed gestures associated with the Nazi salute and performed a song that became a symbol of dictator Francisco Franco's regime. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing The Jerusalem Post. The demonstrations took place following the influx of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa, and were organized by the conservative People's Party and the far-right party Vox; according to government estimates, around 50,000 people took to the streets.
Context: the influx of migrants into Ceuta
The trigger for the wave of protests was the breakthrough of thousands of migrants from Moroccan territory into the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta at the end of July. According to sources, within a few days their number reached approximately 60,000 people. Spain and Morocco again stepped up security at the border following new calls for another breakthrough on social media: barbed wire, water cannons, and boats were deployed on the Moroccan side. Migrants staged a protest on the city beach, demanding asylum in Spain; subsequently, almost all of them were returned to their country of origin, while Spanish authorities continue to work with those still remaining in the enclave.
Nazi gestures and the Franco anthem at the rally
Among the participants were activists of Núcleo Nacional who, according to reports, displayed the Nazi salute and chanted the slogan “Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta will defend itself.” In addition, participants performed “Cara al Sol” — a 1935 song that became one of the symbols of the regime of Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain from 1939 to 1975. The protests in Madrid ended in clashes between demonstrators and the police: four people were detained, and four police officers were injured. There were also documented cases of protesters grabbing, shoving, and insulting journalists covering the event.
Contradictory data
The question of the nature of the gesture displayed is interpreted differently by the parties involved. A representative of Núcleo Nacional objected that the activists had used the Nazi salute, calling it an “Iberian or Roman salute,” supposedly symbolizing their ancestors. At the same time, according to historical data, the gesture with the arm extended forward was popularized by the Italian fascist movement in the 1920s and was later used by the Nazis in Germany; Franco also introduced it into Spain in 1937, but after the defeat of the Axis powers in World War II he ordered the gesture to be abandoned. Thus, the movement's public denial diverges from the historical attribution of the gesture, and both versions are set out in open sources.
Who is Núcleo Nacional
According to the Global Network on Extremism and Technology, Núcleo Nacional was founded in 2024 and currently numbers around two thousand members. The movement includes representatives of neo-Nazi and Francoist groups that had previously lost the ability to carry out large-scale actions; since its organization, four regional centers have been opened. The movement declares the defense of the white race, Christianity, the Spanish nation, and Europe from “external and internal enemies,” among whom it names migrants, separatist movements, and “multicultural globalism.” According to the Spanish organization Observatory of Antisemitism, the movement's leaders have also denied the Holocaust and spread the claim of Israel's alleged involvement in migration to Europe.
Outcomes of the action
Thus, the protest action in Madrid, initiated by conservative and far-right forces against the backdrop of the migration crisis in Ceuta, became an occasion for a public conflict over symbolism: from demonstrations with national flags and slogans about defending the enclave to the use of gestures and songs associated with Spain's fascist and Francoist past, which, according to observers, blurs the line between legal political protest and radical far-right rhetoric.
