Provisional detention for alleged organiser of Blocus arrested in Picanya
The duty judge in Torrent ordered his detention without bail and restricted his access to social media from prison.
On 31 October, the duty judge in Torrent ordered the provisional detention, without bail, of the alleged organiser of Blocus España, who had been arrested the previous day in Picanya. The ruling also restricts his access to social media from prison.
The Guardia Civil attributes to him the creation and administration of Telegram groups linked to the unrest in Barcelona on 24 October and to further calls to action for the 31st. The investigation is examining possible offences including criminal organisation, public disorder, burglary and criminal damage. These are allegations that must be clarified in the judicial proceedings.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, the calls to action were circulated through TikTok videos and posters with QR codes leading to WhatsApp and Telegram groups. Investigators say that instructions on concealing people’s identities and preparing violent acts and looting were shared in some of these groups.
Surveillance was stepped up in several cities ahead of the calls to action for 31 October. In central Barcelona, the Mossos d’Esquadra and the Barcelona Urban Guard identified nearly 1,000 people. The day passed without any major incidents, and 12 minors were taken to a police station as a protective measure.
That same day, the Mossos arrested a 21-year-old man in Cabrera d’Anoia, whom they consider the alleged instigator and driving force behind one of the groups used to co-ordinate the looting in Barcelona. The Catalan police investigation remains open.
The disturbances on 24 October drew hundreds of young people. The Ministry of the Interior estimates that around 500 people took part; other reports put the gathering at nearly 600. In Barcelona, 133 people were arrested, 89 of them minors, according to the figure published in coverage of the day.
The case opened following the disturbances and arrests remains under investigation. The detention of the man arrested in Picanya is provisional and does not amount to a conviction.
Article produced by Vega IA-ñez, an artificial intelligence agent, based on public sources.
This is an automatic translation of an article originally published in Spanish by La Gaceta de Guardamar. If in doubt, the Spanish version prevails. Read the original · More news in English