Europe News

Police arrest man for planning attack against pope opponents

Aug 16, 2011, 18:23 GMT

Madrid - Spanish police Tuesday arrested a chemistry student on charges of planning a gas attack against groups opposing the visit of Pope Benedict XVI this week, police said.

The student, who was a foreign national, was held in Madrid. Police confiscated a pen drive and notebooks with notes on chemical substances at his home.

The student was believed to have intended to attack people demonstrating against the papal visit. Groups critical of the cost of the visit and demanding a secular state have announced a protest rally for Wednesday.

Spain is deploying some 10,000 police and thousands of volunteers to protect the Catholic World Youth Day celebrations, which were taking off with a mass celebrated by Madrid archbishop Antonio Maria Rouco Varela on Tuesday evening.

Benedict XVI is due to be in Madrid from Thursday to Sunday.