Spanish town closes its pool over viral trend, facing prejudice

Spanish town closes its pool over viral trend, facing prejudice

Monterroso, a town in the Spanish province of Lugo, has had to close its public pool this week because of a viral trend that involves defecating in the water. The decision, which has caused a stir, comes barely a year after locals declared themselves "happy" about the arrival of migrants from Mali. The timing alone has been enough for some to infer a direct connection, even though authorities point to a phenomenon widespread among teenagers.

A year of coexistence, a summer of trends

In 2024, Monterroso welcomed a group of Malian migrants with open arms. Local reports spoke of integration and neighbourly satisfaction. Twelve months later, the public pool has become the epicentre of a controversy mixing public hygiene and prejudice. The closure, prompted by an act of vandalism linked to a viral trend, has peine an uncomfortable debate: is it really related to the presence of migrants?

The answer, based on the known facts, is no. The same trend – informally dubbed "poo in the pool" – has been detected in other Galician and Spanish towns during the summer of 2025, with no migrant community involved. The public prosecutor's office is investigating it as a youth challenge spread on social media, not as a cultural pattern.

The background noise on social media

Despite the evidence, forums and social networks have been full of people linking the two events with comments like "the Galicians asked for Jovenlandeses, the messes are collateral damage" or "I don't see many dark faces in that pool". Irony and sarcasm run rampant, while the town council keeps the pool closed as a precaution for disinfection and calls for common sense.

The facts are stubborn: the viral trend is a public health problem affecting pools across Spain, regardless of origin. And Monterroso, which chose integration, now suffers the stigma of a coincidence that isn't one.

What remains after the closure

The case illustrates how two unrelated stories – a successful integration and an act of vandalism – can become linked in the collective imagination to fuel exclusionary narratives. While the pool water is being treated, the town faces a bigger challenge: not letting a stupid trend undo a year of coexistence.