Valencia, Madrid and Catalonia are the regions where most acts of intolerance, xenophobia and racism were reported in the whole of Spain in 2008

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In the photo:  The head of Cultural Acció, Toni Gisbert (left) and chairman of the Movement against Intolerance, Esteban Ibarra. (Image: Reuters)

Valencia, Madrid and Catalonia are the regions where most acts of intolerance, xenophobia and racism were reported in the whole of Spain in 2008, according to the report Raxen 2009, prepared by the Movement Against Intolerance, which includes 350 such incidents. Valencia has recorded more than 80 cases

The study, which highlights an increase in this type of violence around the country, the emergency of racist and xenophobic movements until now had not registered in Andalusia, Balearic Islands, Aragon, Murcia and Castilla & Leon.

In presenting the study in Valencia on Tuesday, its director, Esteban Ibarra, noted the "disturbing" case of Valencia, where there have been over 80 cases of such violence. In Madrid there were about 60, and in Catalonia, more than 40.  So, between the three communities were half of the incidents in 2008.

The report, which comes a decade since 1998 has collected a total of 80 murders from racist or xenophobic motives, but Ibarra said that as well there have been between 3,000 and 4,000 assaults across Spain.  

 Ibarra said the "challenge" of this neo-fascist violence in Spain and Europe is for better coordination across the Internet, and the "institutional weakness" that allows them to organise themselves and speak from the football stadiums and concerts, including 22 located in 2008.

Ibarra claimed that "facts are not punctual, but a major wave of xenophobia" and said that more than 200 websites that collect neofascist propaganda in Spain was the first glimpse of political projects, such as an initiative called Unity, as well as coordinated attacks in a game to kill the very representative of the Movement against Intolerance, to be reported to the Office in Madrid.

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