ABC paper labels Rayo fans' response to Polish neo-Nazis as 'terror' 🇺🇸

Original source: La Base

This video from La Base covered a lot of ground. Streamed.News selected 8 key moments and summarises them here. Everything below links directly to the timestamp in the original video.

Your media consumption frames social conflicts. This case shows how a newspaper can reverse aggressor and victim roles to serve a political agenda.

ABC paper labels Rayo fans' response to Polish neo-Nazis as 'terror'

ABC newspaper framed a clash between Rayo Vallecano fans and Lech Poznań neo-Nazi ultras as "Terror in the streets of Vallecas." The paper called the antifascist residents and fans who responded to the Polish group – known for its violent extremist ideology and named "Terror Machine" – "terrorists" and a "mob." This role reversal in media narrative shows a strategy to criminalize popular movements. It aims to build a reality where defending a working-class neighborhood from fascism appears a greater threat than fascism itself.

"Even when choosing between a mob of foreign neo-Nazis famous for crimes invading a Madrid neighborhood and the local club's fans, Spanish media power is clear. The Polish Nazis are good, Vallecas residents are bad."

▶ Watch this segment — 22:30

ABC headline calls neo-Nazi thugs an 'enterprise,' criminalizes Rayo fans

ABC newspaper described a Vallecas incident as a "savage brawl" between "Bucaneros" and an "enterprise." This "enterprise" was a group of neo-Nazi thugs attempting an eviction. The paper pejoratively labeled the affected resident an "illegal squatter." Rayo fans, who defended the resident, were portrayed as the violent party. This news coverage deliberately distorts reality through semantic manipulation. It aims not to report on a housing conflict but to legitimize violence by para-police groups serving landlords, while criminalizing neighborhood solidarity and antifascist organizing.

"A group of Desocupa-style neo-Nazi thugs who evict residents from their homes to defend landlord property are an 'enterprise.' Meanwhile, a Vallecas resident is an 'illegal squatter,' and the local club's fans, well, we know what they are: a mob of terrorists."

▶ Watch this segment — 24:01

Rayo fans sanctioned for calling Zozulya 'Nazi,' a unique Spanish football precedent

Rayo Vallecano fans' opposition to footballer Roman Zozulya's signing, due to his far-right ties, faced systematic demonization from media like Antena 3. The climax: a match suspension for "Zozulya, you are a Nazi" chants – unprecedented in Spanish football for "insults from the stands." This reveals a telling logic: racist insults or fascist salutes are often tolerated in other stadiums, yet explicit denunciation of fascism draws exemplary punishment. The aim isn't to shield sport from politics; it's to protect a specific ideology while persecuting its opposite.

"The first time a football match was suspended in Spain for insults from the stands was because Rayo fans called a Nazi a Nazi. Racist insults and Roman salutes, however, are seen as charming expressions of sports passion."

▶ Watch this segment — 25:22

El Español Shifts Focus From Coach Inciting Rape To Criminalize Rayo Fans

Rayo fans protested Carlos Santiso's hiring after recordings showed the coach inciting group rape. Media outlets like El Español shifted focus, blaming "Bucaneros"—"left-wing ultras trying to control Rayo"—instead of Santiso's serious comments. This media tactic inverts blame, downplaying gender violence advocacy. It portrays organized fans demanding ethical accountability as a radical group with hidden motives.

"Literally, this staff is incredible, but we lack things. We need to grab one, an adult to avoid trouble, and all of us gang up on her. That unites a coaching staff and a team."

▶ Watch this segment — 26:49

El Español Labels Bucaneros 'Criminal Gang,' Whitewashes Neo-Nazi Fans

El Español escalated its campaign against Rayo fans, labeling Bucaneros a "criminal gang" that "exploits sport for political proclamations." The paper claimed the team's successful season was "marred" by these anti-fascist fans, whom they accuse of "controlling the club." This criminalization contrasts sharply with how other media, like Diario AS, treat far-right groups. It exposes the media establishment's real issue: not football's politicization, but left-wing, anti-fascist politics rooted in a working-class neighborhood.

"Bucaneros again mar the team's great season."

▶ Watch this segment — 28:27

Diario AS Praises Real Madrid Ultra Stand for 'Impeccable Behavior,' Call for 'Harmony'

In stark contrast to Rayo Vallecano coverage, Diario AS presented Real Madrid's fan section, heir to the neo-Nazi Ultras Sur, as a positive force. The sports paper praised these fans' "impeccable behavior" and their supposed call for "harmony." This whitewashing of a group with a known history of violence and far-right extremism exposes Spanish sports journalism's bias. It's not an error but a pattern: systematically attacking anti-fascism while normalizing, even praising, fascism.

"Ultras Sur heirs pass the test, call for harmony, impeccable behavior. That's how Spanish journalism works."

▶ Watch this segment — 29:52

ABC links Bucaneros to sex crimes, theft to criminalize Rayo fans

Spanish newspaper ABC published an article describing the Bucaneros fan group as a radical organization of "70 highly violent individuals." The headline directly linked them to arrests for sexual assault, robbery, and injury, framing them as "far-left" leaders to delegitimize them. This narrative aims to strip the fan base of political legitimacy, reducing them to common criminals. By associating the group with serious individual crimes, ABC built a dangerous image, justifying repression and silencing their anti-fascist message.

"Bucaneros, a radical group with arrests for sexual assault, robbery, and injury. Rayo fans include 70 highly violent individuals who lead the far-left."

▶ Watch this segment — 20:42

Media targets Rayo fans' left-wing ideology as true reason for criminalization

Media coverage of Bucaneros sharply contrasts with reporting on known neo-Nazi fan groups. While the former face links to violence, the latter receive benevolent treatment. This suggests the press's real issue isn't politicization, but Bucaneros' left-wing, anti-racist, and anti-fascist stance. The core question is whether attacks target football violence or, rather, a specific ideology expressed in a mass forum. Criticism of figures like Pablo Iglesias for defending the group reinforces efforts to isolate and stigmatize that political position.

"Do media speak this way about other teams' fan groups, about known neo-Nazis? Or is the problem that Bucaneros are left-wing, anti-racist, and anti-fascist?"

▶ Watch this segment — 21:23

Summarised from La Base · 47:20. All credit belongs to the original creators. Streamed.News summarises publicly available video content.