Anti-Israel rioters break store windows, light fires as thousands march in Barcelona
Some 15,000 protest Gaza war despite truce, hold signs calling peace plan a ‘farce’; protesters gather outside Israeli basketball team’s hotel, try to block way to stadium
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Riots broke out in Barcelona on Wednesday as tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest Israel despite a ceasefire having been reached in Gaza days earlier.
At least 15 people were arrested, local newspaper La Vanguardia reported, citing Catalan police.
Trade unions had called for strikes of various lengths on Wednesday, accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in its military campaign against Hamas.
Fighting between Israel and the terror group stopped on Sunday, as part of a US-brokered deal to secure the return of 48 hostages — 20 of them alive — that were held in Gaza for two years after the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Some 15,000 people demonstrated in Barcelona on Wednesday, according to police, though organizers claimed 50,000 people took part.
During the day, protesters marched behind a banner reading: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will win!” The slogan refers to the entire country of Israel, in addition to Gaza and the West Bank.
Another large banner and signs distributed by the Spanish students’ union read: “The ‘peace’ of the genocidaires is a farce.”
Protesters tried to stop the Hapoel Jerusalem basketball team from entering an arena to play a game without spectators against the Spanish Baxi Manresa club.
They also amassed in front of the hotel where the team was planning to stay, according to the Catalan newspaper Ara, and the team was forced to change hotels.
In the evening, masked rioters attacked shops and restaurants in the city, including Burger King, McDonalds and Starbucks, accusing them of having connections to Israel.
Videos showed people breaking windows, vandalizing storefronts, and setting fire to garbage cans.
Protests against the alleged genocide in Gaza were held in 40 cities around Spain, including Madrid, Seville, Valencia, Bilbao, and other locations.
Over 40.000 people took to the Barcelona streets on Wednesday, October 15, during the general strike in support of Palestine and in protest against Israel.
The night ended with heavy clashes between demonstrators and the Catalan police, near the Israeli consulate. pic.twitter.com/iTaR805Men— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) October 16, 2025
Spain has been among the Western states most critical of Israel’s war in Gaza, which was set off by the Hamas-led invasion two years ago, in which terrorists killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Tuesday that the truce in Gaza must not come at the expense of holding accountable those responsible for the “genocide” there.
Israel fervently denies accusations of genocide, insisting it fights in accordance with international law, and pointing at its efforts to evacuate civilians from combat zones and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid.
The Times of Israel Community.