Police say the violence was arranged through social media and private messaging groups. Of 128 people detained in Barcelona, 72 were minors; prosecutors are considering orders to keep them away from future gatherings.
At least 14 businesses were damaged or looted during unrest in central Barcelona on Saturday, 24 October 2026, where firefighters extinguished 33 fires. The Mossos d’Esquadra detained 128 people, including 72 minors, 56.25% of the total. The detainees comprised 122 men and six women; only two were reported to have prior records, both for public-disorder offences. Police also reported 14 officers injured, four seriously. Independent reporting by elDiario.es counted 23 shops affected by looting or damage. Europa Press reported the Mossos figures.
Police are investigating who promoted and coordinated the violence online. The gathering followed an unauthorised call circulated through social networks. Clashes with police followed, then fires, vandalism and looting. Contemporary reports described a predominantly young crowd and a broad anti-establishment message rather than a specific policy demand. Police suspect the call to gather was not a spontaneous response to social discontent or solidarity with France, though sources familiar with the inquiry say establishing its origin will be difficult.
The groups gathered after a call circulated on TikTok. Organisers then used private Telegram and WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) groups to set meeting points and identify targets, according to the report. The gathering at Plaça de Catalunya was not tied to a specific demand, police said. Reports described several hundred young people gathering in the city centre before the disorder spread to nearby streets.
The arrests carry possible legal consequences. From 5 p.m. on Sunday, detainees began appearing before a juvenile judge, who could order provisional detention. The 72 minors are being processed within Spain’s juvenile-justice framework, separately from adults. The Fiscalía is also considering seeking orders that would keep those arrested away from future gatherings and prevent their participation in further unrest.
One Telegram group called Blocus BCN urged another violent action in Barcelona and named Plaça Catalunya as one location. It also cited Gran Via and the Splau shopping centre in Cornellà de Llobregat. Its messages encouraged participants to wear black and cover their faces. Users also displayed bracelets said to have been stolen from the Pandora jewellery shop on Passeig de Gràcia, then urged further thefts from luxury stores.
The group’s stated call does not establish who organised the earlier violence. The Mossos are still trying to identify the people behind the online coordination and determine the profiles of organisers and participants. Commissioner Sílvia Catà said the investigation was focused on social networks. Speaking to Catalunya Ràdio’s “El Suplement,” Catà reported the final tally of 128 detainees, including 72 minors and 122 men.
Marcelino Madrigal, a social media expert, had warned on Bluesky on Friday that young people were being recruited in several Catalan schools for a violent action. Speaking later on RAC1, he described the Barcelona gathering as a call to loot shops. He said influencers with substantial followings had amplified it, citing attacks on PC Componentes and Nike. Decathlon was also among the stores attacked. elDiario.es reported that 23 shops were affected by looting or damage.
Salvador Illa said the organisers would be identified. His response to the unrest is distinct from the party dispute covered in Milei’s attack on Sánchez. Interior minister Núria Parlon described the events as a possible “mirror effect” of protests elsewhere in Europe, while stressing that Barcelona’s unrest had no specific demand.
Groups of five to 20 people moved through the city centre, breaking shop windows and taking goods. Fires were set in bins and terrace awnings. Motorcycles and bicycles were also set alight; barricades were erected near Plaça de Catalunya. The Mossos deployed about 300 Mobile Brigade officers alongside plainclothes officers. The Guardia Urbana provided support. Police reported groups with covered faces burning containers and damaging street furniture. They also threw stones at officers. Police advised people to avoid the area while the incidents were ongoing. 3Cat reported overturned vehicles, burning street furniture and looting in the city centre.
