The businesses in the center of Valencia have begun to protect their shop windows amid fears of possible disturbances during Halloween night, after the calls attributed to the circle of Blocus España have been spread over the last few days on social media. For example, Mango Outlet and Tezenis, in the area around Plaza de San Agustín, have installed panels to protect their stores.
The image of the protected establishments coincides with a new judicial action against the organization. The duty magistrate of Torrent (Valencia) has decreed this Saturday provisional detention, communicated and without bail for the alleged leader of Blocus España, arrested on Friday by the Guardia Civil in Picanya.
The resolution also restricts the accused's access to computers and other devices that allow the use of social networks from prison. The 20-year-old is initially being investigated for crimes related to a presumed criminal organization aimed at promoting public disorder, robberies with force in commercial establishments, and damage, without prejudice to a later legal classification.
Halloween calls raise concern
Concern over the expansion of Blocus has increased in the face of the calls spread for this Saturday, October 31, coinciding with Halloween celebrations. Analysis of the posts on social media has made it possible to identify around 70 TikTok accounts that were promoting or amplifying the calls.
The messages referred to different Spanish cities, although they did not always coincide in the times, meeting points, or characteristics of the gatherings. This dispersion makes it difficult to establish which of the calls have real mobilization capacity and which are merely due to the viral spread of content.
In Madrid, some channels later announced the cancellation of their call. Despite this, both the National Police and the Municipal Police have maintained preventive deployments in view of the possibility of spontaneous gatherings or isolated incidents.
Businesses protected in several Spanish cities
The measures adopted by Valencian establishments are being repeated in other capitals. Businesses in the center of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao have reinforced their entrances and covered shop windows with panels, while protections have also been installed in establishments in Palma de Mallorca.
In Valencia, the situation is especially visible in the commercial surroundings of Plaza de San Agustín, where several establishments have taken precautions. Among them are Mango Outlet and Tezenis, which have installed protections on their facades.
In Madrid, the City Council has planned a deployment of 1,700 municipal officers during the weekend, in coordination with the National Police. Added to this deployment is a reinforcement of some 200 officers from riot units in the center.
These operations are not in response exclusively to the calls related to Blocus, but also to the usual security needs during Halloween and the All Saints' holiday.
The investigation against the alleged ringleader of Blocus
The Civil Guard arrested on Friday in Picanya the young man it attributes with creating and administering Telegram groups from which calls were allegedly coordinated, spread as student protests, but aimed, according to the investigators, at provoking looting and violent acts.
After being brought before the court, the duty magistrate of Torrent ordered his remand in custody, with communication and without bail. The precautionary measure does not imply a conviction and the investigation remains open.
The coincidence of the judicial decision with the calls spread for Halloween has increased attention on the phenomenon, although the circulation of messages on social media does not make it possible to confirm the holding of all the announced gatherings or anticipate that disturbances will take place.