At least 128 people have been arrested after a protest in Barcelona, Spain, turned violent, with demonstrators looting shops, damaging property and clashing with police officers.
Gatekeepers News reports that the protest took place on Saturday, October 24, 2026, around Plaça de Catalunya in central Barcelona, attracting about 600 people.
Catalan police chief Silvia Cata said on Sunday that 73 of those arrested were minors, adding that their cases would be referred to the juvenile prosecutor’s office. She also disclosed that only two of the 128 detainees had previous criminal records.
The protest was promoted on social media under the slogan “Instituts Indignats”, inspired by the French youth movement “Lycéens Indignés”.
During the protest, demonstrators reportedly smashed shop windows, looted businesses, set rubbish bins on fire and erected barricades. Some protesters also threw stones and other objects at police officers as security operatives attempted to disperse the crowd.
About 14 shops were reportedly looted, while motorbikes, bicycles and bus shelters were among the properties damaged. Fifteen police officers were injured during the clashes.
Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni condemned the violence and said the city council would join legal proceedings to hold those responsible accountable for the damage.
He warned that parents or legal guardians of minors involved could also face consequences.
Catalonia’s regional president, Salvador Illa, also condemned the violence while defending the police response, stressing that the right to protest did not justify violent conduct.
Catalonia’s Interior Minister, Núria Parlon, described the incidents as “gratuitous violence and vandalism”.
Authorities also clarified that the protest was separate from a housing rights encampment that had been operating in Plaça de Catalunya for several weeks.
