Two minors detained over Blocus looting calls in Barcelona

Two minors, aged 14 and 17, have been detained in Barcelona over alleged roles in planning and spreading calls for looting and disturbances on 24 October, the Mossos d’Esquadra said on Monday. The arrests bring to four the number of men held in pretrial detention across Spain over the unrest, according to reports on the cases.

The Catalan police say the minors administered separate messaging groups intended to coordinate participants. Access was promoted through TikTok posters and a QR code leading to WhatsApp channels. The Mossos attribute an active role to both in running the group; neither minor has been named.

Four men in pretrial detention

A judge has also ordered provisional detention for a 21-year-old arrested in Cabrera d’Anoia over alleged links to Blocus and the Barcelona disturbances, according to El País. He is among four men held in pretrial detention in Spain in connection with the unrest. The other reported detainees include the alleged Blocus founder, arrested in Picanya, and two men aged 18 and 21 arrested in Barcelona.

The alleged founder, 20, was arrested by the Guardia Civil in Picanya. A court in Torrent ordered him held provisionally; investigators accuse him of helping coordinate calls for disorder and looting through Telegram groups. The reports link the calls to the Barcelona disturbances on 24 October.

Those disturbances resulted in 133 arrests, more than half involving minors, and caused 33 fires, the looting of 23 shops and injuries to 14 officers, according to El Mundo.

Sources: elDiario.es, El País and El Mundo.