Eight young people linked to Blocus arrested
Eight young people linked to Blocus have been detained in an investigation into disturbances in Barcelona. Among them are a 20-year-old who presents himself as the movement’s leader and a 16-year-old.
Catalonia 3514 news
Catalonia coverage follows regional politics, weather, tourism, transport, public services and local events that affect residents and visitors.
Updates cover local events, incidents, fiestas, holidays, business changes, travel plans and practical regional news for residents, visitors and newcomers.
Updates cover local events, incidents, fiestas, holidays, business changes, travel plans and practical regional news for residents, visitors and newcomers.
Engineers and Catalan firms oppose full rail shutdown
Pimec and Catalonia’s College of Civil Engineers accept that major works are needed but oppose a total shutdown. They want some trains to keep running and say planning must account for passengers and businesses.
Second Blocus suspect held over alleged Molotov cocktail plans
Police arrested an 18-year-old in Alfafar over alleged plans to use Molotov cocktails to distract officers during planned shop raids in Valencia. A separate Guardia Civil arrest in Picanya targeted Blocus’s alleged Spanish founder.
Spain's All Saints bridge set for mostly settled weather
José Antonio Maldonado expects largely stable weather across Spain over the All Saints bridge, with possible heavy showers around the Mediterranean and north of the Canary Islands. Maximum temperatures could fall by up to 3 or 4 degrees in some provinces.
Renfe strike cuts rail services across Spain on October 29
Renfe’s 24-hour drivers’ strike runs from 00:01 to 23:59 on October 29. Minimum services average 73% on Alta Velocidad and Larga Distancia, while disruption after the Urda accident may bring further changes.
Madrid calls off two strike days after Toledo rail crash
Madrid’s medical strike committee has called off the planned 29 and 30 October stoppages after the Toledo rail crash. Metges de Catalunya and Sindicato Médico Avanza say their indefinite actions will continue.
Street disorder puts public security at centre of Spain's campaign
Public security has become the central fight in Spain’s 29-N pre-campaign after looting in Barcelona and unrest in Bilbao. Feijóo promises tougher penalties while the Government accuses the PP and Vox of seeking electoral gain.
Rufián and Montero debate left unity on La Revuelta
Gabriel Rufián and Irene Montero appeared together on ‘La Revuelta’ on Tuesday as Spain’s 29 November general election approached. Montero proposed cutting rents by 40%, while Rufián urged voters to back progressive parties.
Migration exposes the split between Rufián and Montero
Gabriel Rufián and Irene Montero discussed housing and the left’s divisions on La Revuelta. Their sharpest disagreement came over immigration, while Montero said many people in Madrid knew about the allegations against Íñigo Errejón.
PP and Vox agree Senate pact after left-wing deal
The PP and Vox have agreed to coordinate Senate candidacies after PSOE and Frente Amplio reached their own deal. Vox will stand aside in six provinces while the PP leaves three without its own candidate and includes Vox-backed independents in 14 territories.
Muñoz casts election as a choice between Sánchez and Feijóo
At the PP campaign launch in León, Ester Muñoz urged voters to choose a reformist government led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo over Pedro Sánchez. She also accused Sánchez of taking 36 hours to condemn violence in Catalonia.
Doctors’ Unions Shift Strike Pressure to Political Parties
After parliament was dissolved and the draft Estatuto Marco lapsed, national medical unions suspended planned strikes. They redirected pressure towards political parties, keeping their demand for a separate statute and other demands, including an exclusive negotiating forum and voluntary 24-hour on-call shifts.
Blocus accounts spread protest calls across Spain
Accounts linked to Blocus are circulating calls for Saturday 31 October in Madrid and Barcelona, with Málaga also named. Police are tracking posts as they move from TikTok into private messaging groups, where times and locations remain inconsistent.
Blocus call in Barcelona ends with an empty Plaza de Espanya
Police warned shops and restaurants in Sants after a Blocus call was announced for 5pm at Plaza de Espanya. By 5.15pm, the meeting point was empty apart from patrols and journalists; no participants had appeared.
Parlon raised a ban on standing passengers after Montseny crash
After a Sagalés coach crashed in Fogars de Montclús with at least 83 people aboard, Catalan interior minister Núria Parlon raised the possibility of changing rules on standing passengers. Bus operators say fewer permitted places could mean more frequent services.
Barcelona Probe Tracks Anonymous Blocus Accounts After Riots
Anonymous TikTok accounts used the Blocus label to draw young people to Barcelona, where shops were looted and 33 fires were reported. The Mossos are investigating who ran the profiles.
Fogars bus crash leaves 83 treated, seven seriously injured
A bus plunged down a 20-metre embankment in Fogars de Montclús on Sunday. The SEM reported 83 people treated and seven seriously injured; firefighters resumed searches on Monday to check for anyone else.
Doctors keep strikes on schedule in five Spanish regions
Doctors’ unions have called off the nationwide stoppage planned for Friday, but separate strikes remain scheduled in five autonomous communities. They are seeking changes to compulsory on-call shifts and more staff.
Doctors continue regional strikes after national walkout is called off
Doctors’ unions have dropped a planned nationwide stoppage but are continuing with strikes in five autonomous communities. The regions represent more than 32 million people, with further walkouts scheduled from 28 October.
Feijóo pledges a tougher response to unrest in Barcelona
Alberto Núñez Feijóo condemned the Barcelona unrest and said a PP government would protect public safety. At an event attended by more than 1,300 people, he also outlined commitments on housing and taxes, alongside pension pledges.
Seven seriously injured in Fogars de Montclús bus crash
Olga Pané says seven people are seriously injured after a bus crash on the BV-5114 in Fogars de Montclús. She has not ruled out the possibility that a fatality remains unlocated.
Barcelona police probe organisers after 128 arrests
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.
Sierra's route from combat diver to Castor platoon leader
After seven years as a soldier, Sierra was promoted to corporal in 2022. He passed the sergeant examination that year and graduated as a sergeant in 2025 before taking charge of a platoon with the VCZ Castor.
WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) and TikTok helped organise Barcelona unrest
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.
Bus-car crash in Fogars de Montclús leaves at least 41 injured
At least 41 people were hurt in the collision in Fogars de Montclús, with 20 seriously injured. Protecció Civil activated the alert phase of Plan PROCICAT as emergency teams responded.
Brians 2 Prisoner Dies Without Suicide Prevention Protocol
A prisoner died in a cell at Brians 2 without the prison’s suicide prevention protocol being active. The report said the death brought the annual toll in Catalan prisons to eight, two more than the previous year.
Barcelona unrest leads to 100 arrests
Mossos d'Esquadra have arrested about 100 people over Saturday's unrest in central Barcelona. Around a quarter are minors. The disturbances forced shops to close and left shoppers trapped inside.
Barcelona unrest leaves 100 detained and 14 shops looted
Barcelona recorded around 100 arrests and 14 looted businesses after unrest around plaza Catalunya. Emergency services received 450 related calls by 22:00. Officials said the housing encampment was unconnected.
Barcelona student protest escalates into clashes with Mossos
Dozens of students gathered in Barcelona’s plaza de Cataluña under the Instituts Indignats banner. Clashes with the Mossos d'Esquadra led to closed access routes and shuttered shops.
Podemos and ERC launch an electoral pact without a coalition
Podemos and ERC have presented their electoral arrangement at a Barcelona rally without forming a coalition. Podemos will stay off the Catalan ballot while Gabriel Rufián campaigns for the party elsewhere in Spain.
Burgos hoax victims plan joint legal action
Ahmed Benyahia and Youssef Abraoui say they will pursue joint legal action after being falsely identified online in the Burgos murder case. Police have detained six people as alleged perpetrators, yet the images continue to circulate abroad.
Catalan prosecutors deny rape victims access to archived inquiry
Three women in Catalonia remain unable to consult an archived inquiry into the rapes they suffered. Prosecutors obtained a DNA profile for a second attacker but closed the investigation because the crimes had prescribed.
Urtasun family's Montseny farmhouse is rented under father's usufruct
Ernest Urtasun and his two siblings hold the bare ownership of a farmhouse in the Montseny natural park. Their father holds its usufruct and administers the rental, information from property records.
Spain records nearly 38,000 gonorrhoea cases in 2025
Spain reported 37,467 gonorrhoea cases and 11,879 cases of syphilis in 2025, with both infections showing signs of stabilisation at high levels. Chlamydia continued to climb, reaching 44,511 cases.
Storm Austen brings rough seas and strong winds to Spain
Storm Austen’s fronts are forecast to bring rain to north-western Spain and the Pyrenees, with very strong winds and rough seas in the north. Temperatures are expected to rise across the country on Sunday.