A Spanish security alert described online calls urging attacks on police and protesters during demonstrations across four European countries, as Portuguese officials said they were coordinating with counterparts.
The Cybersecurity Coordination Office (OCC), which operates under Spain’s State Secretariat for Security, issued the warning, El País reported Oct. 23. Cadena SER said it had also reviewed the document. Both outlets named Spain, Portugal, France and Italy as countries covered by the appeals.
El País described the website carrying the messages as aligned with Islamic State (IS), while Cadena SER said the appeals did not come through an official IS channel. Both outlets reported that the posts encouraged attacks on police and demonstrators.
El País said the alert did not identify a concrete plan for a particular attack or specify a date or location. Counterterrorism sources cited by Cadena SER said the appeal was not tied to a specific threat. Sources cited by El País described generic calls around mass gatherings as recurring.
Portugal’s Internal Security System (SSI) said its secretary-general was monitoring the matter closely and maintaining constant coordination with relevant authorities, in a response to the Lusa news agency. Diário de Notícias separately reported that Portugal’s Judicial Police knew of no threats at demonstrations. The paper also said the country’s Information and Security Service had not responded to its inquiry by publication.
The alert emerged amid demonstrations with varied demands across Europe. The Associated Press reported that housing affordability was a focus of encampments in Spain and Portugal, while protests elsewhere addressed fuel costs, schools and public services. The AP also reported that an Italy-based group had announced weekly demonstrations in cities across Italy, without connecting them to the alert. EconoTimes previously covered French bishops’ call for dialogue after protest violence.
