Far-right Catalan mayor pushing for removal of halal menus for Muslims in public schools

Silvia Orriols, a far-right separatist leader of the Catalan town of Ripoll, has launched a campaign this week to remove halal menus from public schools.

Her latest controversial statement came on Monday, when she announced that she had filed a motion to ensure all meat served in Ripoll schools comes from animals that were slaughtered after being sedated or stunned.

Around 13% of Ripoll’s population of around 10,600 is foreign-born, according to Catalan government statistics. The town is home to a large Muslim community.

In 2023, Ripoll elected Orriols to office, making her the first mayor of the anti-immigrant Catalan separatist party Alianca Catalana, which she also founded.