The Government Delegate in the Region of Murcia, Francisco Lucas Ayala, has warned this Tuesday that the demonstration announced by Vox for tomorrow, Wednesday, outside the Rosa Peñas juvenile centre in Santa Cruz is unlawful. He has instructed the Civil Guard to take necessary actions to prevent its occurrence.
The Government Delegate has highlighted the obligation of institutions to protect the fundamental rights of minors and to ensure public safety, “in accordance with the principle of the best interests of the child.”
The gathering, which has been spread via social media, has not been officially requested through the established channels, “hence, it is illegal and could constitute a hate crime,” stated officials from the Delegation, who reminded that “the exercise of the right to assemble does not protect a gathering that promotes harassment or vilification of vulnerable groups or those that create risks to cohabitation or the integrity of individuals.”
Under the slogan ‘Your safety is our priority’, Vox has called for a “media statement” tomorrow at 10:45 from the regional president of the far-right party, José Ángel Antelo, alongside Samuel Vázquez, the national spokesperson for immigration, interior, and security matters for the party. The announcement is scheduled to take place at the entrance of the juvenile centre in the Murcian district of Santa Cruz.
Its closure was one of Vox’s demands to the PP in exchange for greenlighting the Region’s budgets. This has been one of their long-standing demands since six years ago, during which these reception facilities have been open, currently housing approximately 60 minors. Even though Vox attempted unsuccessfully to close the juvenile centre in 2020, also as a bargaining tool for their support of the regional PP government, Antelo now seems confident that the Popular Party will honour their commitment and has reminded them recently that the agreement was to take place this September.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Policy has yet to clarify what will happen to the minors once the Rosa Peñas is closed.
Furthermore, this Monday, the regional government, through its Minister of Education, Víctor Marín, confirmed that the Arabic language and Moroccan culture programme, benefiting around 350 students from various educational centres in the Region, has been cancelled. The reason, once again, was to fulfil one of Vox’s conditions imposed on the PP to approve the 2025 budgets.
