We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
SPANISH POLICE have arrested a chemistry student suspected of planning a gas attack against protesters opposed to a visit by Pope Benedict XVI.
The pontiff is due to arrive tomorrow for a four-day visit to celebrate the Catholic Church’s World Youth Day, and a protest march is scheduled for this evening in Madrid.
A police official said the suspect arrested in Madrid yesterday is a 24-year-old Mexican student specialising in organic chemistry. She would not give his name, or say whether investigators believe the man was actually capable of carrying out a gas attack.
Police said in a statement released last night that officers who searched the suspect’s apartment in a wealthy district of Madrid seized an external hard-drive and two notebooks with chemical equations that they say had nothing to do with his studies.
It said he tried to recruit people via the internet to help him, and that a computer allegedly used for this purpose was among objects seized by police.
The statement said the man had planned to attack anti-Pope protesters with “suffocating gases” and other chemicals. But it did not mention police having confiscated chemicals that could be used in an attack.
The police official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with police rules.
The statement said the suspect was in Madrid studying with Spain’s top government research body, the Spanish National Research Council and his office there was searched. The council confirmed the arrest but gave no immediate details on the Mexican.
Church organisers say the papal visit is costing about €50 million to stage. Protesters complain the government is essentially spending taxpayer’s money on the visit by granting tax breaks to corporate sponsors and perks such as discount subway and bus tickets for pilgrims.
Officials at the Mexican Embassy in Madrid did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages seeking comment.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
To all you smug christian types out there, take note: it’s not just islam that breeds evil fanatics! So much for religion teaching people right and wrong. Cue.. the catholic taliban!
To you smug atheist, evil is in every corner of society and the world. 99% of the intolerance i see on this forum is from the atheists.
Meh, I’m not even gonna rebut that. Personally I don’t see why should we be tolerant of the covering up of child abuse, slave labour, the smuggling of nazi war criminals to South America, past support for fascist regimes, brainwashing, patriarchy, theocracy, crusades, jihads, terrorist attacks on innocents, forced genital mutilations, homophobia, institutionalised anti-semitism, the consistent stifling of science over hundreds of years, the teach of faith as a virtue over investigation etc.
I’m not suggesting that the religious have a monopoly of evil in this world (Stalin and Mao would contradict that) but rarely do you find an atheist doing any of the above in the name of his/her lack of belief in a deity as you do with the religious. Hence my lack of patience for bullshit like this.
I’m not going to and try a rebut that either because its true but would you seriously be so naive to actually believe that people with no connection to any religion haven’t done the exact same things? And I’m sure the thousands of people around Ireland that rely on the SVP would agree with me that the catholic church does do some good.
I wouldn’t call myself a catholic (even though I’m brought up one) but I believe (or hope) that there’s something after I die and yes I know that science is the absolute truth in the world. Now tell me whats wrong with that?
Brian, you are wrong.
And what about the thousands of priests who stood up against fascism, the Muslims who saved thousands during the Rwandan genocide, or care for the homeless and drug addicts around the world. The bishops and priests who have stood up for civil rights across America and Latin America with major risks to their own lives. Nobody is in any doubt of the evil perpetrated by the church but I wish people would actually inform themselves on other facts instead of jumping on their highhorses. You talk about intolerance of the Catholic church yet display an equal level of intolerance. If this is what Atheism is about Im ashamed to call myself an Atheist
those brave priests you speak of for the most part acted on their own without the support of the church and in many cases were frowned on by the church.
how christian of him
Interesting that the editor of the journal.ie decided to focus on this story instead of the nearly 1 million young people to have decided to travel from all over the world to take part in World Youth day, nearly 1500 young people from Ireland have travellled. Of course that is a good news story for the Catholic Church and ya couldn’t publish that could ya….!!!!!!!!!
Also interesting you focused on the cost of the trip, the revenue it will bring into the Spanish goverment is about 3 times of what it will cost but hey why let the fully story get in the way of a bit of Catholic Church Bashing
Ah but its too hard to appeal to arrogant and ignorant people that way.
You’re right Brian. However, by making a stand on behalf of the church you’d better be be prepared for comments about how you are a fanatic, a supporter of child abuse, crazy and homophobic. That’s usually the way it goes on here once somebody shows anything that resembles support for catholicism or religion in general.
Yes, Jimmy. Perhaps the foiled gas attack should have been a footnote, if included at all. Perhaps you should set up your own news website, rather than smarmily petition existing ones to moderate and alter their content.
have your say