Spanish authorities are monitoring online calls for coordinated demonstrations and possible violence on Oct. 31 after disturbances in Barcelona and Bilbao, with anonymous social media accounts promoting gatherings inspired by recent unrest in France.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Spanish authorities are investigating a wave of social media messages promoting demonstrations and possible violent unrest across multiple cities on Saturday, Oct. 31, following riots and looting in Barcelona and disturbances in Bilbao that authorities have linked to an online movement operating under the name “Blocus.”
The messages, circulating through TikTok, WhatsApp and Telegram, have called for Halloween demonstrations in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga and several other municipalities. Some include footage of previous riots, images generated using artificial intelligence and language encouraging participants to conceal their identities.
According to El Mundo’s reporting on the online campaign, anonymous accounts associated with Blocus began publishing new calls for demonstrations after violence erupted in Barcelona on Saturday, Oct. 24.
The movement’s name derives from the French word for blockade and has appeared in social media campaigns referencing recent unrest in France. Accounts using the designation have circulated messages promoting demonstrations over education, wages and other social grievances.
Spanish investigators are examining whether the online activity represents an organized network or a collection of loosely connected accounts seeking to replicate disturbances in other European countries.
The latest campaign follows violent incidents in Barcelona over the weekend, when groups of young people vandalized businesses, looted stores and confronted police.
The disturbances followed demonstrations promoted through social media, where organizers encouraged participants to gather under the Blocus designation.
Investigators subsequently identified connections between some of the accounts advertising the Barcelona events and profiles promoting additional gatherings elsewhere in Spain.
In Bilbao, police reported further disturbances Monday, adding to concerns that the online campaign could encourage similar incidents in multiple cities.
According to Crónica Global’s reporting on the investigation, calls for demonstrations began appearing on TikTok around Oct. 18. Some profiles were subsequently deleted or renamed, while others emerged to promote gatherings scheduled for Halloween.
The activity has complicated efforts to identify organizers because many accounts provide little information about the individuals controlling them.
Independent Spanish fact-checking organizations have also documented connections among several profiles through shared messages, reposts and links to private messaging groups.
An investigation by Maldita.es found that at least 10 TikTok accounts promoting earlier demonstrations had been created or renamed between Oct. 18 and Oct. 20.
Some accounts directed users to Telegram groups, which in turn provided access to additional WhatsApp conversations. Investigators also identified accounts encouraging theft and vandalism, although not all of the messages promoted violence.
The movement’s decentralized structure makes it difficult to determine how many participants intend to attend the advertised gatherings or whether the organizers have the ability to coordinate events across different locations.
In Madrid, competing online announcements identified different times and gathering points.
Antena 3 reported Tuesday that one notice advertised a gathering at Puerta del Sol, while another directed participants to Plaza de España.
Other promotional materials urged attendees to wear dark clothing, masks and gloves, resembling the clothing sometimes associated with black bloc protest tactics.
The advertisements varied in their stated objectives. Some demanded improved public education, higher wages and broader social rights, while others focused primarily on confrontation and images of previous disturbances.
However, the Madrid plans appeared increasingly uncertain Tuesday.
Spanish broadcaster laSexta reported that accounts associated with Blocus had canceled a planned Halloween gathering in Madrid, citing police awareness of the event.
The cancellation announcement did not establish that every account promoting demonstrations in the capital had withdrawn its plans. Other online messages continued circulating, and the absence of identifiable organizers made the situation difficult to assess.
Similar calls have appeared in Barcelona, Málaga, Girona and Granollers, while additional messages referenced Algeciras and several municipalities along Spain’s southern coast.
Spanish fact-checking outlet Newtral reported that the advertisements had limited reach and contained inconsistent information about gathering times and locations.
That uncertainty has prompted caution about treating every social media announcement as evidence of an organized demonstration.
Valencia has also appeared in the online campaign.
According to Las Provincias, anonymous TikTok accounts circulated artificial intelligence-generated promotional images encouraging a Halloween gathering near the city’s Plaza de Toros bullring.
One image depicted a crowd surrounding the landmark, with smoke and flames in the background and a young man raising his fist.
The accompanying messages included “The streets are ours” and described the planned event as “the best Halloween night ever.”
The images appeared designed to attract attention and encourage participation, but their artificial origins mean they do not depict actual disturbances at the advertised location.
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE has independently documented the campaign’s use of synthetic imagery and its attempts to recruit participants through social media.
In an Oct. 26 investigation, RTVE reported that similar advertisements were circulating in other European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands.
The broadcaster found that some messages targeted younger social media users and encouraged them to join private messaging groups after encountering public TikTok videos.
Security analyst Chema Gil warned that the violence in Barcelona demonstrated how online mobilization could develop into serious public disorder.
He also cautioned that unrelated groups might exploit the campaign for different purposes, making it difficult to attribute every message to a single organization.
The broader online activity has extended beyond Spain.
Maldita.es identified Halloween demonstration announcements involving dozens of European cities, although the existence of promotional material does not establish that protests will occur at those locations.
Spanish police are continuing to examine the communications and determine whether the individuals behind the messages have direct connections to those involved in the recent disturbances.
Authorities must also distinguish between lawful demonstrations and specific threats involving property destruction, violence or looting.
Public protests over education, wages and social conditions are legally distinct from criminal acts, and the use of a shared slogan does not establish that all participants support violence.
The anonymous nature of the Blocus campaign has complicated that distinction, particularly because some advertisements feature general political demands while others openly encourage disorder.
The events in Barcelona and Bilbao have nevertheless provided authorities with reasons to investigate whether additional disturbances could occur.
With Halloween approaching, the online announcements remain inconsistent, and at least one prominent Madrid gathering has reportedly been canceled.
The extent to which the campaign will produce actual demonstrations remains uncertain, but Spanish authorities are continuing to monitor the activity following the violence already recorded in several cities.
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