Police arrested 128 people after Saturday’s unrest in central Barcelona. Shop windows were smashed, bins set alight and businesses looted around Plaça de Catalunya. Many of those detained are minors.
A gathering promoted through social media developed into clashes late on 24 October. Groups with covered faces threw objects at police and scattered into surrounding streets after riot officers intervened.
Authorities recorded damage to 23 businesses and dozens of fires requiring firefighters’ attention. Fifteen members of the police forces were injured. Some shops closed, while access around the square and services at nearby rail stations were temporarily restricted during the disturbances.
Mayor Jaume Collboni said the city would join legal proceedings over the damage. Investigators are examining individual acts as well as how calls for the gathering circulated online.
The unrest comes amid a wider wave of demonstrations in European cities. Local authorities have nevertheless distinguished the vandalism from the housing protest camp that has occupied Plaça de Catalunya. Sharing a location does not establish that different groups have a common organisation or responsibility.
Court proceedings and the identification of each detainee’s involvement are the next steps. Arrest alone does not establish guilt for the damage caused.
