Minors Face Strict Measures After Weekend Unrest
Three minors arrested during Saturday's riots in Barcelona have been placed in closed-regime youth centres, following court orders issued on Sunday and Monday. The Public Prosecutor's Office has requested internment measures for six of the 78 minors detained, marking the most serious cases among the 130 people taken into custody. According to the latest figures from the Mossos d'Esquadra, 78 of those detained were under 18, with many aged between 16 and 17; one was as young as 14. Of the minors brought before the juvenile judge, two were ordered into closed-regime custody on Sunday, while one more received the same measure on Monday. The remaining minors face precautionary restrictions, including bans on attending demonstrations and being within 1,000 metres of public gatherings, along with supervised liberty.
Adults Released, Investigation Ongoing
Of the 51 adults arrested, around 30 have been released on provisional bail, with periodic court reporting conditions. No provisional prison measures have been requested for adult detainees, though the prosecution has asked for them to be barred from protests. The Mossos have established a joint investigation team to analyse video footage and evidence collected during the riots. Officers seized bladed weapons, sprays, pyrotechnics, and balaclavas near Plaça de Catalunya, where around 500 young people gathered following an anonymous call spread via social media.
The protest lasted for hours, until midnight, and resulted in clashes, barricades, and damage to vehicles, street furniture, and about thirty businesses.
Fourteen Mossos officers and one Guàrdia Urbana agent were injured, and firefighters responded to 33 incidents involving street fires.
Blocus Network Under Scrutiny
Authorities are investigating Blocus, an anonymous online network that used TikTok and messaging platforms to mobilise young people under the banner of student dignity, inspired by France's 'Lycées Indignés' movement. The group encouraged participants to attend protests in black clothing, with faces covered, and carrying pyrotechnics. The Mossos are monitoring Blocus Barcelona’s TikTok accounts, which they say aimed not at peaceful protest but at inciting criminal acts. The original TikTok account has since been deleted.
They will pay a price. Catalonia is not a place of destruction, it is a place of construction,
said Generalitat President Salvador Illa, urging parents to monitor their children’s activities. Eight more minors are due to appear before the juvenile judge each day this week for assessment of further measures.
Sources: elDiario.es, Ara.
