Spain: Authorities monitor viral WhatsApp threats of weekend unrest

Authorities in Spain are investigating viral WhatsApp messages circulating among adolescents that warn of potential violent unrest and attacks this coming Saturday. Some messages explicitly claim that individuals from Barcelona and France intend to cause destruction, including targeting metro trains. While the origin of these forwarded messages is difficult to trace, they have spread across Spain, with some evidence suggesting the viral screenshots may have originated in Avila.

The Spanish Ministry of the Interior has stated that police have not issued any specific warnings regarding the assemblies mentioned in these messages. However, following previous protests in Barcelona, local security forces, including the Mossos d'Esquadra and the Guàrdia Urbana, have announced a maximum security deployment for Saturday as a preventive measure.

Additionally, some messages have falsely claimed a new jihadist threat level. While Spain remains at a reinforced level 4 terror alert, the Ministry of the Interior confirmed that no new specific warnings regarding such threats have been issued.