Footage shared by Cope shows demonstrators surrounding reporter Alberto Herrera and cameraman Curro as they covered a picket column on Barcelona’s Sants street on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. The confrontation came during a 24-hour general strike. Herrera said the group shoved them and threw Curro’s phone and earpiece pack. Red paint was sprayed on the Cope microphone. Protesters also shouted insults, including “fascists.” The Guardia Urbana intervened and removed the journalists from the group.
Herrera recounted the incident to Jorge Bustos on Herrera en Cope. He said the crew had entered the column as it closed the street and began filming when demonstrators noticed the camera and microphone. The group stopped around them. Insults followed, and papers were thrown, he said. Cope estimated that around 200 to 300 demonstrators were involved in the Sants-area protest; some later entered Sants station. Herrera told Bustos he had never experienced anything like it and had not expected a demonstration of that size to stop and surround him.
According to Herrera, officers were taking his phone number after the confrontation. Cope’s social media accounts shared footage of the encounter, and the broadcaster reported that the Guardia Urbana intervened. Bustos said Herrera had interviewed UGT representatives shortly before the incident and criticised the attempt to prevent journalists from reporting.
The strike was promoted around demands for higher wages and dignified housing. Pickets also moved through central Barcelona, urging businesses to close. Cope reported that nearly 30 roads in Catalonia were cut or had blocked access during the stoppage. They included the Ronda Litoral in both directions near Colón and at exit 18A in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.
Herrera also said he was heckled at Barcelona’s Sants station while interviewing a woman who had been unable to board a train to visit a relative. El Periódico reported that picket members interrupted the live connection and challenged Herrera as he questioned the passenger. He defended the crew’s right to record and speak to people, saying they could film and ask questions. He attributed the disruption to threats from a picket that included hooded demonstrators. Strike-related road disruption was also reported in València, where a separate report described blockages affecting three routes.
Before the confrontation, Herrera had defended the crew’s right to film and ask questions. He said they had been reporting from the demonstration since 6am.
