Calls for Violent Protests in Spain Inspired by Recent Events in France
A wave of messages circulating on social media has triggered warnings from local outlets about potential violent riots across Spain, set to take place on Saturday, October 31. These calls appear to be “inspired” by the recent turmoil in France.
The messages have been confirmed by Spanish media and are spreading on platforms like TikTok, as well as through WhatsApp and Telegram groups. Anonymously run accounts are using the tag Blocus, which translates to “Blockade” in French. El Mundo noted that this tag was previously used to incite violent protests in Barcelona over the weekend and in Bilbao on Monday.
Initially, calls for protests under the Blocus tag appeared on various TikTok accounts as early as October 18. These messages aimed to mimic the protests in France and echoed similar grievances voiced by demonstrators there in recent weeks. Interestingly, El Mundo mentioned that many accounts that promoted the recent Barcelona riots quickly vanished from social media, only to have new accounts pop up shortly after, pushing for more violence on Halloween.
These online calls aren’t confined to repeating the events from last week in Barcelona. They also include plans for protests in other cities such as Madrid, Málaga, Garanollers, and Girona—all for the same day of October 31.
Some posts, as highlighted by El Mundo, show rapid-fire clips of past riots interspersed with messages urging new protests. Other content stresses the importance of wearing “Black Block” attire to hide identities during the impending violent acts. The messages also boast various demands, ranging from better public school conditions to fair wages and a more equitable world.
Spanish broadcaster Antena 3 reported that at least two distinct flyers are circulating online, promoting separate protests in Madrid—one planned for 5:00 PM at Puerta del Sol, and another an hour later at Plaza de España.
The Valencia-based newspaper Las Provincias also suggested that similar calls for rioting have emerged in their city. They confirmed the presence of AI-generated flyers from anonymous TikTok accounts advocating protests at the famed Plaza de Toros bullring. These flyers feature an image of a crowd around the bullring, depicting a chaotic scene with an area set ablaze and a raised fist among the crowd.
The text on the flyer ominously declares, “The streets are ours,” suggesting that Saturday’s protest will be “the best Halloween night ever.”
Law enforcement in Spain is still investigating the individuals or groups behind the Blocus accounts, but as of now, there hasn’t been an identifiable organized structure discovered. The absence of a clear manifesto complicates efforts to trace and isolate any potential group instigating the unrest.
Notably, recent riots in Barcelona seemed more driven by a desire for vandalism, arson, and theft rather than a genuine social cause, as pointed out by Núria Parlón, a member of the Catalonian government. She acknowledged in an interview that these protests had little to do with any actual grievances related to Spain’s education system.
Parlon has called on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram to shut down the group chats where organizers are coordinating these violent acts. She revealed that TikTok posts calling for protests often incorporate QR codes that lead to private chat groups, supplying further instructions to participants.
