Mexican student arrested in Spain for plotting attack against pope opponents

Mexican student arrested in Spain for plotting attack against pope opponents

2011-08-18 01:46:53 GMT+7 (ICT)

MADRID (BNO NEWS) -- Spanish police on Tuesday arrested a student who was allegedly planning a gas attack against protesters opposed to the Pope's visit to Madrid, the Spanish daily El País reported on Wednesday.

Police said the suspect is a Mexican student who is specialized in organic chemistry at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and was working as a volunteer in the preparations of the pontiff's visit to Madrid for World Youth Day celebrations.

Officials from the Spanish General Commissariat of Intelligence said that over the past few days the suspect had participated in ultraconservative Internet forums in which he commented against the Pope opponents. In his comments, he allegedly said 200 or 400 people could be killed at once with Sarin gas, a lethal gas also used in the attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995, killing 13 and injuring more than 6,000.

After searching his apartment and his CSIC office, police said the suspect had information about chemical processes not related to his studies which could have created panic among those attending the event.

Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to arrive on Thursday for a four-day visit to celebrate World Youth Day in Madrid. At least a million people from across the world have come to the Spanish capital for the Catholic youth festival which started on Tuesday.

However, more than 100 groups oppose to the Pope's visit and plan to demonstrate on Wednesday evening. Opponents are protesting against the financial cost of the pontiff's stay amid one of Spain's worst economic crisis in decades.

The student suspected of planning the gas attack against the pope opponents is being held in custody for counts of terrorism and he is not expected to appear before a judge until Thursday, only after the anti-Pope demonstration scheduled for Wednesday night is over.

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