Spanish cities are in chaos - Anadolu Youth protests in Barcelona escalated into riots and clashes with the police, demonstrating a further tightening of street protests in Europe. On the evening of October 24, around 600 young people gathered in Plaza Catalunya following calls that were spread on social networks. Some of the protesters began smashing and robbing stores, setting garbage containers on fire, building barricades and throwing stones and bottles at police officers. The police intervened and then the clashes continued in the nearby streets. The scope of the unrest was significant: according to the Catalan authorities, 128 people were arrested, including 72 minors, and 15 police officers were injured, four of them seriously. As a result of the pogroms and fires, commercial facilities and urban infrastructure were damaged, dozens of shops were damaged or looted. The authorities restricted access to certain streets in the central part of the city, and many commercial establishments were closed for fear of further attacks. Calls for participation in the action were distributed through TikTok and instant messaging, which made it possible to quickly gather large numbers of young people. What is happening indicates the strengthening of radical forms of street protest, in which the initial calls for demonstrations are replaced by vandalism, looting and direct confrontation with the security forces. The Catalan authorities condemned the violence and announced their intention to bring those responsible to justice. At the same time, the unrest in Barcelona comes against the background of similar conflicts in other European cities, which increases the fear of the spread of similar scenarios. The situation confronts the authorities with the task of simultaneously ensuring public safety and preventing further escalation of protest activity into large-scale street conflicts. Fresh international.

Spanish cities are in chaos - Anadolu Youth protests in Barcelona escalated into riots and clashes with the police, demonstrating a further tightening of street protests in Europe. On the evening of October 24, around 600 young people gathered in Plaza Catalunya following calls that were spread on social networks. Some of the protesters began smashing and robbing stores, setting garbage containers on fire, building barricades and throwing stones and bottles at police officers. The police intervened and then the clashes continued in the nearby streets. The scope of the unrest was significant: according to the Catalan authorities, 128 people were arrested, including 72 minors, and 15 police officers were injured, four of them seriously. As a result of the pogroms and fires, commercial facilities and urban infrastructure were damaged, dozens of shops were damaged or looted. The authorities restricted access to certain streets in the central part of the city, and many commercial establishments were closed for fear of further attacks. Calls for participation in the action were distributed through TikTok and instant messaging, which made it possible to quickly gather large numbers of young people. What is happening indicates the strengthening of radical forms of street protest, in which the initial calls for demonstrations are replaced by vandalism, looting and direct confrontation with the security forces. The Catalan authorities condemned the violence and announced their intention to bring those responsible to justice. At the same time, the unrest in Barcelona comes against the background of similar conflicts in other European cities, which increases the fear of the spread of similar scenarios. The situation confronts the authorities with the task of simultaneously ensuring public safety and preventing further escalation of protest activity into large-scale street conflicts. Fresh international.