Police are taking messages circulating online naming meeting points in Tenerife and, according to the authorities, some posts linked to calls urging people to loot large shops, set fire to street furniture, block roads and attack police officers seriously, as they are seen as “more than a general rumour”.
They name Calle del Castillo in Santa Cruz for 5.30pm on Saturday, 31st October, and also refer to the Golden Mile in Playa de las Américas at the same time.
The original Santa Cruz poster does not identify an organiser or set out a clear political demand. Authorities have also not established that every message being shared comes from the same source.
So, are the gatherings anti-government? There is no clear evidence that the Tenerife call is a protest against the Government or any specific policy. The local poster uses broad slogans about taking to the streets, but gives no detailed cause or programme. Some calls circulating elsewhere in Spain have referred to different issues, but there is no single, consistent set of demands.
The timing and style have led to comparisons with the online calls around Barcelona and other cities. Some accounts using the name “Blocus” have promoted gatherings that appear intended to imitate recent unrest in France and Barcelona. However, the organisers behind the Tenerife messages have not been identified, and a direct link between them and the wider network has not been confirmed.
In Barcelona on 24th October, a social-media protest framed around education ended in serious disorder, with shops looted or damaged and clashes with police. In Bilbao on 26th October, unrest followed a protest against a planned appearance by online personality Vito Quiles; his event was cancelled. That had a different immediate cause, and does not show that the Bilbao incidents were part of the same campaign as Barcelona.
Copy of the poster circulating on social media
The recent damage helps explain why businesses are preparing. Some shops in Santa Cruz have begun protecting their premises, while business groups have advised retailers to increase vigilance and use available security measures. These are precautionary steps after messages naming commercial areas and some posts reportedly encouraged attacks on businesses. They are not confirmation that looting is expected.
Santa Cruz City Council has activated its Unipol police unit, and National and Local Police authorities are coordinating their response. Their stated aim is to be prepared while they monitor the messages. There is still no confirmation that the gatherings will draw a crowd or that riots or looting will take place.
A separate meeting organised by Se Acabó La Fiesta is advertised for 6.00pm today, Friday, at Plaza del Príncipe in Santa Cruz. No verified information links that political gathering to the anonymous calls for Saturday.
