Photos:

 http://theplatform.nuevaradio.org/index.php?blog=4&p=652

With just days to go before the Spanish general election, anti-rascist campaigners fought running battles with riot police in Central Madrid this Friday, building huge burning barricades and entirely gutting several banks, after the local PP (rightist) council allowed 'Combat Espana' and other fascist groups to gather in Tirso de Molina square, traditionally Madrid's most leftist area and now home to much of Madrids immigrant population.

As a few hundred fascists met in Tirso de Molina at 8.30 (29th Feb), chanting various slogans relating to immigration and growing unemployment, waving Nazi flags and rather predictably making Nazi salutes, surrounded by several hundred police, 1000's of immigrants from the Lavapies district and anti-fascist campaigners gathered in protest. Emotions were running high both on account of an increasing number of fascist attacks against immigrants and leftists in Spain and what was seen as an act of total provocation by the cities right-wing council, in allowing fascist organisations to march and gather on the edges of Lavapies (a barrio in Madrid with the largest immigrant population, and most associated with left-wing politics), and specifically in Tirso de Molina a square with historic left-wing connotations, where anti-capitalists and anti-fascists gather every Sunday to man stalls, exchange campaigning materials and chat.

This is the latest provocation from Esperanza Aguirre, the Mayor of the Madrid region, and a high-ranking party member of the PP (conservative party), who is widely seen as sympathetic to far-right causes. Pre-Election debate has become increasing focused around immigration. With the Spanish economy slowing down and unemployment rising, the right-wing Partido Popular has been taking a noticably harder-line than previously, calling for much tougher immigration controls, and the ruling PSOE (socialists) responing with accusations of 'xenophobia'.

The fascists arrived early in Tirso de Molina to find their meeting point entirely covered with anti-rascist graffitti. After an hour or so of calm, police began to fire rubber bullets and tear gas to hold back the anti-fascists (blinding one campainer), then chaos ensued and huge burning barricades were built to block all the street entrances to the Lavapies district, as the anti-rascists fought running battles with riot police, in the La Latina area and near Plaza Mayor (the tourist district). While the two groups were successfully kept apart by police, several banks were destroyed inside and out and cars set alight, leading to a potential political headache for local politicians and questions being raised about the march being given the go-ahead.

More reports and pictures below...

 http://news.aol.com/story/_a/spanish-police-break-up-clash-between/n20080229190409990009
 http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D943591F-1C4A-4129-A6C3-096FDEDBDE46.htm
 http://www.mapmagazine.com/madrid/Riots-in-Lavapies/
 http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L29492025.htm
 http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0301/breaking5.htm
 http://www.lahaine.org/index.php?p=28349
 http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanza_Aguirre

Pictures:

 http://www.elpais.com/fotogaleria/Disturbios/Lavapies/5189-6/elpgal/
 http://theplatform.nuevaradio.org/index.php?blog=4&p=652

Alex Sand, Mule Madrid Correspondent