Recent violence at the Fossar de les Moreres exposes how political extremes fuel public anxiety. Catalonia’s Diada, once a symbol of unity, now risks being overtaken by those who profit from chaos. The real cost may be a society gripped by fear.
Diada in Barcelona used to be a day for shared identity. Now, it feels more like a stage for those eager to turn every problem into a crisis. The unrest at the Fossar de les Moreres didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s the result of a steady campaign by political extremes, who amplify each incident and try to convince everyone that disaster is the new normal.
What was once a celebration of pluralism is now at risk of sliding into open conflict. The recent violence wasn’t random. It followed weeks of far-right groups using local tragedies—like the homicide in Manresa or tourist thefts in central Barcelona—as proof that everything is falling apart. Their message is blunt: if nothing works, nothing is worth saving.
According to several independent reports, the number of protesters opposing Aliança Catalana at the Fossar de les Moreres reached around 2,500, vastly outnumbering the approximately 500 supporters of the party.
Professor José Cesar Perales from the University of Granada has seen this shift up close. He says the current wave of pessimism is unlike anything he remembers, even compared to the worst years of his youth in neighborhoods hit hard by heroin and HIV. Perales points out that people are now more frightened by what they hear than by what they actually experience. This fear isn’t just a side effect of social media—it’s a tool for those who gain from instability.
Any attempt to talk about what still works in Catalan society is quickly dismissed. When Salvador Illa spoke at the Diada about the positives, he was called naïve. Josep Rull, president of the Parlament, got similar pushback after his remarks at the Rafael de Casanova monument. In this atmosphere, moderate voices are drowned out by constant talk of doom.
Ahead of the Diada, Mossos d’Esquadra significantly increased security measures, closing access to the Fossar de les Moreres to prevent direct clashes. This preemptive action reflected authorities’ anticipation of possible escalation, as confirmed by several Spanish media outlets.
The pattern is familiar: take isolated incidents, blow them up into sweeping claims, and use that to justify more escalation. Extremists want people to believe that violence at events like the Diada is inevitable, and that the only answer is to tear everything down. This isn’t unique to Catalonia. As seen recently in Ceuta, similar tactics have kept communities on edge elsewhere.
The real risk is how quickly this story takes hold. When people start to accept chaos as normal, they become easy targets for those promising order through radical change. Catalonia’s recent history shows that collective mistakes end up costing individuals, and the idea that "the worse, the better" is a trap that leaves everyone worse off.
What’s left is a society where fear is manufactured and hope is mocked. Those who thrive on disaster spin every setback into proof that nothing works. But their vision leads nowhere. Catalonia’s challenge is to push back against this spiral, reclaim public space from those who profit from despair, and remember that most people still want a future worth building.
