Just a few weeks after the racist riots in Torre Pacheco, another municipality in the Region of Murcia is stirring up national politics. This time, the People's Party (PP) in the Jumilla City Council (27,263 inhabitants), which governs the council, has facilitated an unprecedented measure to prevent the Muslim community from continuing to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the Feast of the Lamb at local sports facilities. The decision was made ad hoc and in response to a motion promoted by Vox during the processing of the Jumilla budget, which was debated on Wednesday afternoon and passed with the sole support of PP councilors and the necessary abstention of Vox. The government has attacked the PP and Vox for"a new example of the extremist and exclusionary drift of right-wing governments toward the far right," according to sources from the Ministry of Justice.

For its part, the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration warns that it will condemn"any discriminatory initiative." It will also closely monitor "hate speech that may arise or be fueled by these initiatives that violate people's freedom and dignity" through the Observatory Against Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE), which reports to Elma Saiz's department.

In response to the regulations implemented in Jumilla, the national leadership of the Popular Party is washing its hands: Génova refuses to specify whether or not it supports the change in the regulations, refuses to explain why it responded to the far-right party's proposal with an alternative amendment, instead of rejecting it outright, and adheres to the literal meaning of the proposed alternative text."Where does the word Muslims appear? Where does the word Islamic community appear? Where does the word prohibition appear? Nowhere," defended the PP spokesperson in Jumilla City Council, Mari Carmen Cruz. The Popular Party councilor focused on the fact that what was approved is"a modification so that the facilities" are used "exclusively for sports."

But this reasoning overlooks the fact that this change was pushed through after Vox presented a motion for "the defense of the customs and practices of the Spanish people against foreign cultural practices such as 'the Feast of the Lamb' and the modification of the regulations for the use and operation of municipal sports facilities." And not before. The Jumilla Popular Party—and therefore Génova, which does not disavow its party at the local level—are also unaware that the new wording of the regulations will prevent the celebrations as they had been held four years ago.

The amendment, as an addendum, urges"the governing team to promote activities, campaigns, and cultural proposals that defend our identity and protect traditional religious values and expressions in our country," establishing the discriminatory framework for Muslims, which underpins the specific decision regarding the sports facilities in a municipality where an estimated 1,500 residents profess Islam. The text was approved with 10 votes in favor from the PP (and the mayor's casting vote), the sole Vox councilor abstained, and nine votes against from the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), plus that of the IU-Podemos-AV councilor.

Tellado: “Maximum respect for all beliefs”

The news about Jumilla caught Miguel Tellado in the middle of a press conference in Madrid, while he was answering journalists' questions. The PP secretary general claimed to be unaware that the project had gone ahead and showed"the utmost respect for all religious beliefs in our country." Later, sources from Génova and the PP in Murcia referred to the arguments put forward by the PP spokesperson in Jumilla. At the regional level, the Murcia government of Fernando López Miras reached an agreement two months ago with Vox on the territorial budgets after giving in on immigration policies, in what mirrors what has happened on a smaller scale in Jumilla.

"They haven't learned anything from what happened in Torre Pacheco."

At the same time, the leader of the Murcia-based PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) and president of the Justice Commission in Congress, spoke out against the social network X. “They have learned nothing from what happened in Torre Pacheco. They continue to fuel hatred and provoke a social divide with unforeseeable consequences. The PP violates constitutional values and puts coexistence at risk, just to cling to power. How irresponsible.”

They have learned nothing from what happened in Torre Pacheco.

They continue to fuel hatred and cause a social fracture with unforeseeable consequences.

The PP violates constitutional values and puts coexistence at risk, just to cling to power.

How irresponsible. pic.twitter.com/GPuqa1VURg

— Francisco Lucas (@Lucassayala) August 6, 2025

On the government side, sources from the Ministry criticized the decision in a statement distributed to the media."In Spain, religious freedom is recognized and protected as a fundamental right by the Constitution. Article 16 guarantees the ideological, religious, and worship freedom of individuals and communities," they stated."Coexistence between religions is a fundamental value for building an inclusive and respectful society," they added. However, for the time being, they will not take any action to prevent its implementation.

For its part, Podemos Murcia does claim to have gone to the Prosecutor's Office to report the measure."We have filed a complaint because we will not remain silent. Because institutions are there to protect, not to exclude. Because coexistence is not defended by prohibiting, but by guaranteeing rights," stated the party's Murcia-based Organization Secretary, Ángel Hernández."This is not a simple political disagreement. It is a potential violation of fundamental rights," he added.