Fact check: Misinformation fuels anti-migrant riots in Spain

The assault of an elderly man in the town of Torre Pacheco sparked outrage and racist riots for several nights. False claims and misleading ...

The assault of an elderly man in the town of Torre Pacheco sparked outrage and racist riots for several nights. False claims and misleading videos spread online soon after — and exacerbated the tensions.

What happened in Torre Pacheco

Several days of unrest in the town of Torre Pacheco, near Murcia, have highlighted rising tensions over migration in Spain.

Sixty-eight-year-old pensioner Domingo Tomas Martinez had said he was beaten up by migrants on July 9. The motive of the attack was not immediately clear. But it was followed by several nights of riots and violent protests . Far-right groups posted xenophobic messages on social media, calling for people to "hunt down"migrants. This further escalated tensions.

Torre Pacheco is a coastal Spanish town of nearly 40,000 people, and a third of its populationconsists of migrants, according to local government data. Police claim that by now peace has been largely restored in the city after the attack. But this is another example of how misinformation can ignite emotions.

Video out of context adds fuel to the flame

A video showing an elderly man being assaulted by unidentified persons heightened tensions. The video was widely shared on different social media platforms, it appeared for instance on Facebookand X.

Claim: This X postwith the video, from July 10, states: "A video has been leaked of a brutal attack on an elderly man by North Africans in Torre-Pacheco, Murcia."

The post comes from a user with a gold checkmark on their X account, indicating that the account belongs to an official organization through verified organizations. Other accounts also shared the video claiming it showed the attack on Martinez.

Best for youFact Check: False

The video is not from Torre Pacheco. It is related to an incident that took place nearly two months ago and was filmed in the city of Almeria, more than 200 kilometers away.

The person seen in the video is Jose Moya. After the video went viral in July, Moya posted his statementon Instagram clarifying that the person seen in the viral video is, in fact, him. Local media outlets interviewedhim after the viral video sparked social media outrage against migrants.

Moya also showed the T-shirt and trousers on Instagram that he wore on the day of the attack. Calling for justice, he said, "The one in the video is me. I'm having a hard time making this video because I'm so nervous. But they are getting confused. And what I want to say is that I ask for justice for everything they have done to me and for the old man. The old man is a man from Murcia, and I am from Almeria. I was the one who was beaten."

He explained that two people attacked him while more were present. He said they asked him for tobacco, and when he replied that he didn’t have any, "They got into a fight with me (…). They cut my head open, broke three ribs, and left me there unconscious." He claimed the attackers were Spanish, and not migrants.

Martinez confirms man in video is not him

Best for youFact Check could confirm the scene in the video was filmed in Almeria, as claimed by Jose Moya in his Instagram post. He also showed a picture of the location taken after the incident, which is included in his video statement. We geo-located it near the Centro Periferico de Especialidades (Bola Azul) hospital. The footage matches details such as a row of trees, graffiti, and similar ground.

Domingo Tomas Martinez, the man beaten up in Torre Pacheco, has also confirmed that he is not in the video that went viral. He spoke to severalmedia outletsfollowing the incident, where he appeared with red eyes and other marks of assault.

Other false claims spreading online

Similar misleading posts emerged following the case in Murcia, many targeting migrants and Muslims. Here are two examples:

Claim: This poston X claims that Torre Pacheco's local police were attacked by migrants and that the Civil Guard did not intervene: "The Torre Pacheco Local Police, overwhelmed by the mob of broccoli-haired people."

Best for youFact Check: False

This incident took place in Torrevieja, about 40 kilometers from Torre Pacheco. Police officers were attacked by several individuals of migrant background there, reported multiple local media outlets. Best for youverified and identified the locationof the video.

Claim: Another postclaimed a "ham protest" was organized to respond to the Torre Pacheco incident. The caption reads, "Torre Pacheco wakes up early. The residents are organizing for the final counter attack."

Best for youfact check: False

This video is unrelated. It was first postedin November 2024 on X by a user saying it was an attempt to set a world record for the largest plate of ham. The video was filmed in Huelva and has been viewed more than 2.4 million times since then.

Why it matters

Misinformation isn't just a harmless mistake: It can spark violence, fuel hatred, and put lives at risk, as seen in Torre Pacheco: False claims on social media led to further escalations and deep divisions in the community.

Before sharing a post, pause and verify the facts. A single misleading video can ignite real world chaos. Check sources, consult fact-checks, and think critically. Stopping the spread of misinformation starts with each one of us.

(Thomas Sparrow contributed to this piece)

Author: Anwar Ashraf, Björn Kietzmann