More than 500 people took part in disorder around central Barcelona after calls circulated through WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) groups and TikTok. Chat members shared images of looted goods and discussed further gatherings.
From about 6pm on 24 October 2026, more than 500 people occupied Plaça Catalunya and nearby streets, according to Interior councillor Núria Parlon; other reports estimated that around 600 people were in the area. The mobilisation was promoted on social-media accounts associated with the label “Blocus Barcelona,” the Barcelona City Council said. Messages shared in WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) groups show participants discussing looted shops and circulating images of goods taken during the disorder. The council said 295 Mossos d’Esquadra officers and 229 Barcelona Urban Guard officers were deployed, a combined 524 personnel.
One group named businesses that had been attacked. A participant said they had thrown keyboards into the street, while another asked about a jewellery shop and was told its window had been smashed. Another message praised the young people for staying active. EL PERIÓDICO said it had seen the exchanges. Police-linked reports counted 23 shops looted or vandalised during the disturbances.
The messages offer a different picture from the stated reasons for protest. An account on TikTok claiming to be the official account for the Barcelona demonstrations cited housing costs and low wages, and raised concerns about mental health and public education. It also said participants wanted their voices heard. The account acknowledged that participants did not all have the same aims. Mossos chief commissioner Sílvia Catà said the mobilisation gained momentum chiefly through TikTok. Reporting by El País described a two-stage communication pattern: public-facing TikTok posts promoted the gathering, while participants were later directed to WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) and Telegram groups where more specific coordination allegedly took place.
The site’s separate lung-damage report covered an unrelated subject; in this case, the evidence described comes from chat messages and social media videos. Some group members discussed holding another gathering, but those exchanges do not establish that any later event took place. Authorities reported 128 arrests, including 72 minors. Police are investigating the accounts associated with “Blocus Barcelona” and how messages moved between platforms; the reported inquiry includes coordination with police forces in other European countries, including France and Italy.
French protest videos circulating on TikTok were another influence. The Mossos d’Esquadra’s General Information Commissariat had warned days earlier that similar incidents could spread to Barcelona. Videos from Paris often used trending audio, including the song “Mr. Policeman” by Eva Simons. Participants in Barcelona also filmed near barricades made with burning objects and streamed events on TikTok. Mossos sources had expected roughly 300 people and only minor incidents, while post-event estimates put the crowd at around 600. The investigation into the social-media accounts was ongoing, with no final judicial classification of those arrested reported.
