Spanish police arrest alleged Blocus founder as riot calls fade

Organizers arrested across Spain

Spanish police have detained people accused of coordinating Blocus, a social media movement that spread calls for disturbances through TikTok videos, posters with QR codes and WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal groups. Between Friday 30 October and Sunday 1 November, ten people were arrested across Spain as alleged coordinators: three in the Valencian Community, three in Catalonia, two in Tenerife, one in Andalusia and one in the Basque Country. The man regarded as the movement's founder and driver was detained by the Guardia Civil in Picanya, Valencia, on Friday 30 October, and a judge ordered him held in provisional custody. Two other adults arrested in Barcelona as alleged coordinators of the riots in the Catalan capital are also in custody, and the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) says one of them is under investigation for public disorder and criminal organization.

Valencian Community3

Catalonia3

Tenerife2

Andalusia1

Basque Country1

Valencian Community

3 people

Catalonia

3 people

Tenerife

2 people

Andalusia

1 people

Basque Country

1 people

Data from the article text

Two girls among the suspects

Mossos d'Esquadra and Policia Nacional officers arrested two girls, aged 14 and 17, in the Maresme and Bages areas, which lie dozens of kilometres apart. Police said the pair administered several messaging groups set up to coordinate participants in the looting and disorder in Barcelona on 24 October. Access to those groups was promoted through TikTok posters carrying a QR code that led to WhatsApp channels. Police attribute "active participation" in driving the groups to both girls. The case is being coordinated by the juvenile section of the Barcelona prosecutor's office, and further action is not ruled out. El Mundo put the Barcelona arrests from the riots at 128, 72 of them minors, while a La Vanguardia column cited 130 detainees, 74 of them minors.

Heavy deployment over Halloween

Police deployed heavily over the Halloween weekend, and La Razon reported nearly 3,000 officers in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Bilbao. In Madrid, the city council had planned a deployment of 1,700 municipal police for the festivity, while the national police reinforced patrols in Gran Via and Callao. Many shops chose to close before their usual hours, and several establishments covered their windows to deter theft and damage. La Vanguardia reported that more than 2,000 young people were identified across the Halloween evening, night and early morning, and that the evening ended without incidents. Some of the minors identified had balaclavas seized, and some were as young as 12; police took them to stations to wait for their parents, as a protective measure agreed with prosecutors.

Murcia gathering fails to materialize

In Murcia, Blocus had called supporters to gather at 17:30 at a central square known locally as La Redonda. According to El Mundo, police vans were already at Plaza Circular at 16:34, and the government delegation said no incidents had been recorded "for the moment". The government delegate in the region, Francisco Lucas, chaired a local security board that morning and said the deployment had deterred the call. He said surveillance would continue "for as long as necessary" and that security forces monitor social media permanently for threats. Lucas also pledged to keep order in the city.

“we are not going to allow anyone to disturb or endanger public order and the safety of our citizens”

Mossos say the calls have been cut off

Ramon Chacon, deputy executive director of the Mossos d'Esquadra, said the calls had been cut "at the root" and were now "practically zero". In an interview with RTVE's programme Cafe d'idees, he said:

“We have this under control and we will not tolerate this happening again.”

Chacon said most minors linked to the disturbances had no criminal record, which he found striking, and pointed to a "mirror effect" from the French protests, algorithms and media overexposure. Albert Batlle, Barcelona's deputy mayor for security, said surveillance would be extended for the coming days and that there would be no impunity for those involved. On Telegram and Signal, channels went quiet on 1 November, and according to La Vanguardia sources no new calls had been issued, leaving only older posters in circulation. Chacon also said disturbances were probable during the general strike.