A youth gathering in Barcelona left shops and public fixtures damaged and officers injured, while Sunday media reports put arrests at 128 and differed by one on the number of minors.
The Mossos d’Esquadra, Catalonia’s police force, said in an Oct. 24 post that masked people set fires and damaged street fixtures as officers faced rock throwing near Plaça de Catalunya. El País reported that incidents began around noon ET (16:00 UTC); the police later urged people to avoid the area. Europa Press estimated about 500 participants, while El País put the peak crowd at about 600.
At a joint late Saturday briefing, Catalonia’s Interior Minister Núria Parlon said authorities had made about 100 arrests, with roughly 25% involving minors. The initial tally at the briefing listed 14 affected businesses and 33 places where firefighters put out fires.
Cadena SER reported Sunday that the arrest count had risen to 128, including 72 minors. El País and a later report by El Nacional also gave 72, while an earlier El Nacional report counted 73.
Cadena SER’s updated account counted 23 businesses vandalized or looted, 14 officers injured, four of them seriously, and 33 fire-related calls. The briefing’s earlier figures referred to affected businesses and locations where firefighters extinguished fires.
Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni said the city council would join legal proceedings over damage to public property. Reuters quoted Collboni as warning that the damage “will not go unpunished.” Catalan President Salvador Illa said the right to protest did not excuse assaults, intimidation or damage to property.
El País reported that calls for the gathering circulated on social media. Officials cited by Europa Press said it had no clear cause or specific demand. The city gave no timetable for its planned legal action.
