Madrid reinforces police presence and shops brace for possible Blocus disturbances

In brief

• Madrid police kept a large deployment for Saturday, 31 October, over a possible Blocus protest.
• The alert follows the 24 October unrest in Barcelona, with 128 arrests and 15 injured officers.
• The Madrid operation includes 200 riot officers and 1,700 municipal officers.
• Shops in several Spanish cities closed or protected their windows, and residents were advised to stay home.

Barcelona clashes prompted the alert

The concern follows the events of 24 October in Barcelona, where an anonymous protest called on social media under the name Blocus drew about fifty young people who looted shops and fought with police (Bulos, refuerzo policial y comerciantes a la expectativa sobre altercados en Madrid: “Hay preocupación, pero nos dicen que no hay que alarmarse” – EL PAÍS). Authorities reported 128 arrests, 15 injured officers and more than twenty vandalised shops (Última hora de las manifestaciones de Blocus en España, en directo | Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia y San Sebastián, entre otras ciudades, se blindan ante posibles disturbios – EL PAÍS). Many of those involved were minors.

Police deployment in Madrid

Police monitored a possible second call for Saturday in central Madrid. The call was reportedly cancelled, but the National Police and the Municipal Police kept their planned deployment. It includes 200 riot officers in the centre and 1,700 municipal officers across the city and on public transport. The area around the city's Golden Mile has also been reinforced (Madrid blinda su 'milla de oro' ante posibles disturbios por la convocatoria de Blocus – Expansión).

Shops and public advice

In several Spanish cities, including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and San Sebastián, police have increased patrols. Many shops in central areas closed their doors or covered their windows, and authorities advised residents to stay at home on Saturday evening.

Traders' concerns

Shopkeepers in Madrid's centre say they are worried about the possibility of violence, but officials have told them there is no need for alarm. Hoaxes about the protests have also circulated online.