Barcelona police detained 18 people, including 10 minors, after unrest near Arc de Triomf during alternative Diada events. Officers intervened as masked groups set containers on fire and confronted law enforcement. Nine officers sustained minor injuries.
Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf saw unrest during Catalonia’s Diada, with police detaining 18 people—10 of them minors—after masked demonstrators set containers on fire and clashed with officers. Nine police officers suffered minor injuries. The clashes happened as thousands gathered nearby for official celebrations. According to several independent Catalan media outlets, most arrests followed attempts by some protesters to break through the police cordon, which led to a forceful response from Mossos d'Esquadra.
Most of the arrests took place around Arc de Triomf, where about 200 hooded individuals disrupted the evening by setting street containers alight and confronting Mossos d'Esquadra. Police responded with force to restore order, detaining 17 people at the scene. Another arrest occurred at Plaça de Catalunya after a major independence rally organized by the Assemblea Nacional Catalana and Òmnium Cultural. Mossos reported that officers were targeted with stones, bottles, fireworks, and paint, and said their main goal was to prevent direct clashes between opposing groups.
Police in Barcelona operated not only at Arc de Triomf but also at several other locations throughout the city on the same day, indicating a broader pattern of incidents linked to Diada rather than an isolated episode.
The day’s tensions were not limited to pro-independence groups. Police also intervened at a separate demonstration by Núcleo Nacional, a Spanish nationalist group, at the Jacint Verdaguer monument. When antifascist counter-protesters tried to block the gathering, officers stepped in to prevent a direct clash, leading to further police charges. Police estimated about 70 people attended the Núcleo Nacional event, and Mossos separated the groups to avoid escalation.
Despite these incidents, most Diada celebrations were peaceful. The Guardia Urbana estimated about 45,000 people attended the main independence march, while organizers claimed 130,000. The difference in attendance figures reflects the ongoing debate over the true level of support for Catalan independence, as noted by several local news sources. Most attendees avoided confrontation, and the violence remained isolated.
Earlier in the week, three people detained during a xenophobic Aliança Catalana event at Fossar de les Moreres were released with charges, a pattern seen in previous years. A recent report described similar outcomes after police interventions at politically charged gatherings in Barcelona.
During the night at Arc de Triomf, protesters not only set containers on fire but also threw barriers into the flames, leading to further clashes with riot police units. These events followed earlier tensions at Fossar de les Moreres, where police separated Aliança Catalana supporters from antifascists, resulting in three arrests and several individuals under investigation for public order offenses.
Independent Catalan media
The events at Arc de Triomf show the ongoing volatility around Catalonia’s national day, especially when alternative or fringe groups gather alongside official commemorations. While most Diada activities pass without incident, recurring outbreaks of violence—often involving minors—remain a challenge for both police and organizers. This year, authorities acted quickly to prevent more serious escalation, but the cycle of arrests and minor injuries points to unresolved tensions beneath the surface of Catalonia’s annual celebration.
