Spain: Rally in Piera Slams Islamophobia after Arson Attack on Local Mosque
In Piera, a town of 17,000 located about 55 kilometers from Barcelona, hundreds of demonstrators gathered late Friday in response to a fire that damaged a nearly completed mosque in the early hours of July 12. According to local police, more than 400 people took part in the protest, Catalan News reported on Saturday.
The demonstration began in Gall Mullat park and proceeded to the mosque, where representatives of the Muslim community, civil society groups, and others denounced the fire and broader issues such as “hate speech, Islamophobia, and the criminalization of certain communities.”
Protesters chanted messages promoting inclusion and coexistence, including “We are neighbors, we are diverse,” and “Yes to the mosque, no to hate.” Many local residents and political figures joined the march, though members of the far-right Vox party, the Catalan nationalist group Aliança Catalana, and the conservative People’s Party were absent.
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Some demonstrators carried signs describing the fire as a “hate crime.” Piera's mayor, Carme Gonzàlez, stated that "by the hour, the hypothesis that it was an intentional attack is becoming stronger."
Catalan interior minister Núria Parlon had issued a similar assessment earlier. Both officials belong to Spain's Socialist Party.
The mosque, funded by the town’s Islamic community, was scheduled to open soon. The interior, with a capacity of 150, was completely destroyed. In the wake of the fire, more than €60,000 in donations have been raised for reconstruction.
Yahya Mokhtari, head of the local Islamic community, said before the protest, “They have damaged our mosque, but they left the Islamic community more united with Piera’s residents.”
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The Socialist bloc in the town council plans to introduce a motion at the next plenary session to formally condemn the attack and push for legislation protecting all places of worship equally.
Source: Agencies
