An analysis of the government's response to the attacks against fans of the Spanish team

Political violence must always be condemned by a democratic government. It is a basic principle that some seem not to understand.

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Last Sunday, all of Spain experienced a glorious day with its victory in the 2026 World Cup. Unfortunately, there are violent extremists who believe they have the right to impose on others what they should think, say, or even celebrate. Separatist thugs attacked fans of the national team in several municipalities in Navarre and the Basque Country. The attackers, acting as what they are—criminal gangs—assaulted peaceful people using extendable batons, metal bars, reinforced gloves, and pepper spray

Esto acaba de pasar en Berriozar, Navarra.

Los cachorros de ETA agreden de manera brutal a los ciudadanos que disfrutaban de su selección en la terraza de un bar.

Es terrorismo callejero. En grupos de 10, con bates y con la cara tapada.

La basura etarra sigue existiendo. pic.twitter.com/mFCxAKU20y

— Julen Sesma (@julensesma) July 19, 2026

In Berriozar (Navarra), separatist thugs attacked people watching the Spain-Argentina match in a café. Several military personnel were among those attacked. The video of this brutal assault can be seen above.

💥 Radicales armados intentan tirar en Bilbao la pantalla gigante para ver a la selección​ colocada por el PP

El alcalde de Bilbao se negó a colocar una para ver la final del Mundial pic.twitter.com/ahkzns4iRz

— El Debate (@eldebate_com) July 20, 2026

In Bilbao, separatist thugs tried to tear down a giant screen set up by the PP to watch the match. These anti-democrats not only hate Spain: they also try to dictate what people can and cannot watch, as if this were North Korea, Iran, or Cuba.

Obviously, these events have caused great outrage. As expected, the Popular Party (PP), Vox, and the Navarrese People's Union (UPN) have strongly criticized these attacks. a href="https://x.com/psoe" target="_blank">The PSOE's national Twitter channel has said absolutely nothing about it. The same silence can be observed on the Basque Socialists' channel. The Socialist Party of Navarre (PSN) has simply shared a message from the Berriozar PSN expressing its rejection of "what happened today," but without saying anything about the aggressors, as if they didn't know who they were or their political motivations.

The government's reactions can be seen in this Twitter list. They are easy to summarize: Pedro Sánchez and his ministers have not published a single message about these serious acts of violence. They always say something when the violence comes from other parts of the political spectrum, but when the violence is separatist and far-left, they remain silent.

It's not hard to imagine the reason for this silence; one only needs to see which parties Sánchez relies on to govern: separatism and the far left. The perpetrators of these attacks are thugs who share the hateful messages of the government's partners against all those Spaniards who simply love their country and support their national football team—something that, for these fanatics, also makes you a dangerous "fascist" who can be attacked.

It is scandalous that the government remains silent in the face of these attacks, and it is also one more reason to hope that it will be ousted from power in the next elections. Spain, like any other civilized country, needs a democratic government that ensures peaceful coexistence and always condemns political violence, not a sectarian government that believes certain attacks do not deserve any condemnation because they are committed by thugs in the service of its partners.

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Photo: Ignacio Pérez / Elcorreo.com. Separatist thugs attacking fans of the Spanish national team in Bilbao.