Spanish law enforcement agencies have taken 128 individuals into custody following a night of severe civil unrest, looting, and violent clashes in central Barcelona.
According to regional Catalan police, the chaotic demonstrations erupted on Saturday afternoon around the prominent Plaça de Catalunya area before spiralling into widespread vandalism.
Authorities reported that groups of predominantly young individuals, many wearing black clothing and face masks, smashed storefront windows, ransacked commercial establishments, and ignited over 30 fires using rubbish bins and street barricades.
Fifteen police officers sustained injuries during the overnight operations as security forces deployed specialized riot control equipment to disperse the hostile crowds and secure affected commercial districts.
Preliminary data released by law enforcement indicates that a significant portion of those detained—ranging between a quarter and half of the total arrests—are minors. Investigators have launched a comprehensive review to identify other participants involved in the coordinated property destruction and looting of at least 14 local businesses.
The sudden unrest in Spain aligns with a broader wave of youth-led, anti-establishment demonstrations sweeping across parts of Europe, carrying echoes of recent civil disturbances observed in neighboring France. Local officials and business associations have strongly condemned the violence, calling for calm as municipal workers begin assessing the extensive infrastructural and commercial damages across the city center.
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