Catalonia bans xenophobic PxC from staging protest march against mosque

The Catalan interior department has banned the far-right Plataforma per Catalunya (PxC) from staging a march through Salt on Saturday. PxC called the rally to protest against the construction of a mosque in the town. The regional authorities vetoed its plan due to the risk of "serious disturbances of public order."

The mayor of Salt, Jaume Torremadé, said it was "logical and prudent" to prevent the march. Salt has a large immigrant population and trouble has flared previously between local people and foreigners, fueled by small pockets of xenophobic far-right supporters. "There is no current project for the construction of a mosque," Torremadé added.

Local organizations Al Hilal and Maghrebis for Peace purchased a 900-square-meter parcel of land at the beginning of the year but Torremadé, under pressure from PxC, suspended the concession of licences for building religious centers for a year.

The leader of PxC, Josep Anglada, stated that he would be present at the rally, and warned that it would go ahead "at all costs." PxC has suffered a crisis in Salt in recent days, losing two of its three councilors in the town. Joana Martínez left PxC after it exerted pressure on her to leave her boyfriend, a Cameroonian, and the party spokesman, Carles Bonet, resigned when it was revealed that he is involved in a relationship with a Dominican man.