OMM Newsroom
Police in Barcelona are preparing for possible fresh riots on Halloween after online groups called for more violence and looting following weekend unrest that led to 130 arrests, Anadolu Agency reported.
The warnings follow riots in Barcelona on Saturday and further disturbances on Monday in Bilbao, in northern Spain, where around 20 people were arrested.
More than 600 young people gathered in central Barcelona on Oct. 24 after a social media campaign promoted under the name Blocus. Authorities said at least 23 businesses were looted or vandalized and firefighters put out 33 small fires. Of those arrested, 76 were minors.
A “Telegram” group operating as Blocus BCN has since circulated messages calling for another gathering on Oct. 31. The messages encouraged participants to wear black clothing and Halloween masks to avoid being identified by police. Promotional material also cited recent protests in France as an inspiration.
Catalan regional police are investigating who organized Saturday’s violence, which they believe was coordinated rather than spontaneous. Investigators have ruled out a political or ideological motive and believe participants followed instructions from unidentified organizers, according to Spanish newspaper “La Vanguardia”.
Study finds Blocus activity in 18 locations
A study published Monday by Spanish digital intelligence firm “Golden Owl” identified signs of Blocus activity in 18 locations across 11 Spanish regions. The analysis traced the network’s earliest known activity to Madrid on Oct. 8.
Researchers said organizers used “TikTok” and “Instagram” to recruit participants before directing them to private “Telegram” and “WhatsApp” groups. The network operated through disposable accounts rather than a conventional organization, while the identities of its main operators remain unknown, according to the study.
Participants identified luxury brands including “Rolex”, “Louis Vuitton”, “Balenciaga” and “Hermes” as possible looting targets, researchers said. Messages also discussed bringing heavy objects to break shop windows, confronting police and preventing bystanders from recording their activities.
The study identified further calls for gatherings on Oct. 31, Nov. 2 and Nov. 30, the day after Spain’s general election.
Researchers also detected messages from accounts on the US social media platform “X” based in France, Ecuador and Uruguay that encouraged attacks on immigrants following the Barcelona riots. They warned that the messages posed a separate risk of violent confrontations, but found no evidence of coordination with Blocus organizers.
Riots fuel political dispute ahead of election
The unrest has also prompted political accusations ahead of Spain’s Nov. 29 general election. Opposition People’s Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo accused Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government of fueling tensions.
“I’ll tell you what’s happening: they know they are losing, and the more they lose, the more general tension they create,” Feijoo said at a campaign event Tuesday, referring to the riots.
Government spokesperson Elma Saiz rejected the accusations as “irresponsible” and urged politicians to let investigators establish the facts.
Sanchez described the Barcelona riots on Monday as “pure vandalism instigated on social media” and said the government would have “zero tolerance” for the violence.
