The Mossos d'Esquadra carried out increased checks around the Barcelona on the afternoon of Monday 26 October 2026, in Plaça Espanya and identified several young people. The reason was a call circulating on social media, similar to the mobilisation the previous Saturday. According to police, the afternoon remained quiet; no announced gathering took place.
Around midday, the Mossos d'Esquadra and the Guàrdia Urbana businesses in the neighbouring district of Sants had been alerted to the possibility of another gathering and urged to exercise caution. Police patrols took up positions at metro station entrances, where most identity checks took place. Several shops, particularly on Creu Coberta, took the initiative of covering their shop windows with cardboard. No incidents had been reported by evening.
The background is the violence on Saturday 24 October 2026, after a call to loot and attack emergency services circulated on social media. According to consistent media reports, around 130 people were arrested, including 76 minors. The Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office applied on Monday for six young people to be placed in closed institutions and for restrictions to be imposed on more than 20 others, including a ban on taking part in protests. The investigation also targets the authors of the digital calls.
The Mossos d'Esquadra regional police were responsible for Monday’s operation, supported by the municipal Guàrdia Urbana. According to the authorities, the measures were intended to prevent risks: an early presence at a major transport hub, sharing information with the affected neighbourhoods and targeted checks at key points such as metro entrances. Identity checks of this kind are among the police’s tools for preventing possible breaches of public order and managing crowds.
Business associations said they had informed their members following a warning from security forces and urged them to report potential risks. Officials stressed that the plan was based on patterns seen in the weekend’s events. Political assessments remained cautious; the main call was for relevant groups to be shut down on messaging services . Judicial action against alleged participants and possible instigators is currently under consideration; whether the mobilisations involved organised groups or loose, anonymous arrangements is the subject of ongoing investigations.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).