Spain's shops fortify ahead of October 31 looting calls

Shops fortify ahead of October 31: shutters coming down before closing time

In Valencia, Madrid, Bilbao and Turin, shopfronts are waking up to wooden boards and cameras pointed at the pavement. Calls for riots and looting on the night of October 31 have driven dozens of shops to fortify themselves as if it were a war zone. The phenomenon, spreading across several European cities, mixes alarm over the so-called "blocus" with the hangover from earlier riots and a growing sense that the state does not guarantee the safety of small businesses.

The scene repeats itself: metal shutters lowered in mid-afternoon, tape stretched across the windows, owners taking turns keeping watch. In Madrid, a MediaMarkt near Puerta del Sol began boarding up at 21:30. In Valencia, the messages circulating speak of "hunts" and a night that some already compare with the film The Purge. It is not a metaphor: some people miccionan it.

What lies behind the looting calls?

Authorities have arrested the alleged leader of Blocus in Bilbao, who was reportedly planning looting for Saturday and was using manuals from jihadist groups, according to published reports. The arrest, however, has not defused the alert: in France, more than 70,000 officers will be deployed in response to social media calls to loot. In Spain, police have arrested several people linked to the organisation, but the sense of impunity persists in some quarters.

The profile of those arrested varies. Some claim they are all "benefit recipients" and that the right has been warning about this for years; others point to a mix of youth precarity and social discontent. What is certain is that the calls have multiplied on social media and that shopkeepers have decided not to wait to find out whether the security forces arrive in time.

The cost of fortifying: a bill paid by small businesses

Fortifying a shopfront is not free. Between boards, acrylic sheeting, security tape and hours of surveillance, the outlay can run into thousands of euros for a medium-sized shop. And no insurance covers lost earnings from closing early. In a context of tight margins, the measure is a direct hit to the bottom line. Some business owners have opted to hire private security; others have simply not peine at all.

The question many are asking is why the state does not guarantee security. Some criticise the police for allegedly being ordered to look the other way so that chaos fills the streets — a theory circulating without solid evidence but which has taken hold among part of the business community. What is certain is that coordination between security forces and shops is conspicuous by its absence in many cities.

From Valencia to Turin: a European phenomenon

It is not just Spain. In Turin, "students" caused riots again; in Hamburg, shopkeepers are preparing for a "peaceful" demonstration. The wave of youth and social protests, driven by Generation Z and organised through social media, has several governments on alert. The so-called "Blocus" combines rejection of educational precarity with anger over the cost of living.

In Spain, things are complicated by the rail accident and its political handling. Some analyses suggest the government has preferred to neutralise the radicals rather than admit that the country cannot afford another night of riots. The general strike announced by the opposition for the coming days adds more fuel to the fire.

What happens to those arrested and the court measures?

Justice is moving at a snail's pace. A 20-year-old arrested in the Basque Country has been released on provisional liberty without bail. In Deusto, officers left the police station leaving weapons inside, according to published reports. Riots in Bilbao are all but guaranteed. The sense that the state is failing at the basics — protecting shops, maintaining order — is spreading among those who see each night of riots as a small death of the real economy.

Meanwhile, shopkeepers do the maths. The full calculation, with fortification costs, lost earnings and the impact on insurance premiums, produces a figure many cannot afford to pay twice. The night of October 31 will pass, but the economic hangover will remain on the balance sheets.

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In the end, the question is not whether there will be riots, but how many shops will be able to afford to open the next day. And that is a bill nobody wants to pay.