Rioting broke out in Plaça Sant Jaume in central Barcelona this Friday, at the end of a protest by people affected by the Covid-19 containment measures. Among several different groups who were present, violent extreme right sectors were involved in the incidents, and some sprayed anti-democracy and anti-semitic grafitti.
The demonstration had gone smoothly, but at the end, some groups including visibly-angry individuals and hooded young people threw metal barriers at the Mossos d'Esquadra police. The candidate of the far-right Vox party in the Catalan elections, Ignacio Garriga, came out openly to justify those who led the riots.
Los llaman "negacionistas".
— Ignacio Garriga (@Igarrigavaz) October 30, 2020
Son trabajadores en el paro, padres sin nómina para alimentar a sus hijos, autónomos que no tienen trabajo y que hoy han visto su cuota aumentada.
Españoles corrientes de Barcelona, hasta las narices de ser encarcelados y condenados a la miseria. pic.twitter.com/UnftZB99sW
Translation:
"They call them "denialists." They are unemployed workers, parents without paycheques to feed their children, self-employed people who have no job and who today have seen their quota increased. Ordinary Spaniards from Barcelona, sick of being imprisoned and condemned to misery."— Ignacio Garriga (Vox member of Spanish Congress)
The Mossos police charged to disperse the violent elements, and protesters then scattered through the surrounding streets of Ciutat Vella. The police, however, were at times overwhelmed by the virulence of the attacks, and the director general of the Mossos, Pere Ferrer, acknowledged to radio station RAC1 that "very violent small groups from the far right" took part in the raid, with individuals who were “well-equipped” for the occasion.
Mossos d'Esquadra in the centre of Barcelona / Sergi Alcàzar
Burning containers in Barcelona / Guillem Ramos
The initial event began around five in the evening and according to the city police attracted about 1,500 people of a very diverse nature: people with businesses affected by the restrictions, others of "alternative" appearance, right wing extremists ready to act, and also Covid denialists. It was a strange mixture.
During the one-hour initial protest, fireworks, smoke canisters and other objects were hurled, but around 6:45pm, radicals began throwing sizeable objects and security barriers at Mossos vans.
The police then charged to disperse the violent elements, cornering some individuals around Carrer Jaume I. Many, however, fled towards Via Laietana, and the Mossos began to pursue them in their vans.
From here, the incidents continued in various parts of the centre of Barcelona, with small radical groups facing the police, and reluctant to dissolve.
Due to fires in the area of Plaça Urquinaona, some Christmas lights fell to the ground, and the Mossos asked people not to approach them. Some shops were also affected.
Fire next to a shop in central Barcelona / / Sergi Alcàzar
Extremist mobilization
The initial event was called on social media, with an "anti-political" slogan which was, unusually, exclusively in Spanish: "While politicians laugh at us, the entire people are on the brink of extreme poverty", and using common ultra group contradictions such as talking about "the working class" while at the same time renouncing "both right and left". The poster was not signed by any collective or group. No political party lent prior support to this protest either.
Poster which appeared on Telegram groups and social media
Among those who promoted the protest, some far right Telegram groups were detected as well as the Twitter account Catalunya terra hispana (sic).
Sigue en pie hoy 18:00 plaza sant jaume.
— 𝕮𝖆𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖚𝖓𝖞𝖆 𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖗𝖆 𝖍𝖎𝖘𝖕𝖆𝖓𝖆 🇪🇸⚒ (@Hispanitat_CAT) October 30, 2020
Police sources reported that a journalist had been injured after being hit in the head by a stone. As well, there were six arrests.
🔴🔴 @Mossos ja han fet 6 detinguts durant aldarulls #Barcelona. La situació ja es normalitza. Cotxes d'USC ja poden entrar a la zona calenta, amb molt poca gent. @elnacionalcat pic.twitter.com/Hh7VGHsgBJ
— Guillem Ramos-Salvat (@ramossalvat) October 30, 2020
It was later confirmed that a total of 12 people were arrested, including 2 minors, while emergency health services attended 10 people for minor injuries. As well, the Mossos reported that 20 members of the force needed medical attention.