Barcelona Political Clashes
Pro-Independence and Spanish Nationalists Clash with Shouts in Barcelona Street
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Rival groups clashed in shouts outside the Sagrada FamÃlia on June 10, 2026, as Pope Leo XIV's Popemobile passed through the intersection of Carrer de Rosselló and Carrer de Sardenya in Barcelona. Independence supporters chanted "Independencia" and "Fuera fascistas de nuestros barrios" while unionist counter-protesters answered with "Viva España" El Correo Web.
The face-off was no accident. Pro-independence groups ANC and Òmnium Cultural had chosen the spot deliberately — it sits on the final curve of the Popemobile route before reaching the basilica El Nacional.cat. Security forces from the Mossos d'Esquadra, including riot police units, kept the two sides apart and prevented any physical violence.
How a Papal Visit Became a Political Flashpoint
The confrontation did not come out of nowhere. Tensions had been building for nearly a week. On June 5, a teachers' strike drew between 15,200 (official count) and 90,000 (union estimate) people to Barcelona's streets Metròpoli Abierta. The strikers warned that "the Pope will find a strike" waiting for him.
Pope Leo XIV — born Robert Francis Prevost — arrived in Madrid on June 8 before traveling to Barcelona. ANC, Òmnium, and the CdRep coalition issued a joint statement ahead of his arrival: "Let the Pope know and let the world know... In Catalonia, in Catalan! We want independence" El Nacional.cat.
Language War Fuels the Rage at Rosselló-Sardenya
A dispute over language lit the match. Independence groups were furious over an initial plan to leave Catalan out of the blessing ceremony for the Sagrada FamÃlia's new Tower of Jesus — its tallest spire. Activists called it an attempt to "Spanishize" GaudÃ's legacy Libertad Digital. The decision was later partially reversed, but the anger stuck.
Junts politician Laura Borràs accused the state of "linguistic genocide," claiming Spanish was imposed on Catalonia "via violent paths and prohibitions" El Debate. Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV urged all Catalans to be "builders of unity beyond polarization" — a message each side quickly claimed supported their own position La Vanguardia.
Two Very Different Stories About the Same Street Corner
The clash looked very different depending on who was reporting it. Unionist-leaning outlets like Libertad Digital described the protests as independence activists "going crazy" and disrupting a religious event. Pro-independence outlet El Nacional.cat framed it the opposite way: the Spanish press was "throwing the Pope against independence" by twisting his unity message into an attack on Catalan self-determination.
Analysts noted that the crowd at Rosselló-Sardenya numbered in the hundreds to low thousands — a far cry from the hundreds of thousands who filled Barcelona's streets in 2019 Metròpoli Abierta. Some observers argued the smaller numbers reflect fading momentum in the independence movement, pushing activists toward more dramatic symbolic gestures rather than mass mobilization.
Barcelona's Government Walks a Tightrope Ahead of More Protests
Catalan President Salvador Illa met with the Pope but kept a careful distance from the language row, saying his government "washes its hands" of the choice made for the blessing ceremony TOT Barcelona. His neutral stance reflects a broader balancing act: the Papal visit boosts his image of institutional calm, but the street tensions — and a teachers' strike where 65% of educators voted against his latest offer — show that calm is fragile EFE.
The confrontation at Rosselló-Sardenya may not be the last. Pro-independence leaders have already signaled it is a "prelude" to planned disruptions at the Tour de France, which is set to start in Barcelona later this summer El Nacional.cat. Concrete barriers and street closures installed for the Papal visit have already caused significant economic disruption in the Eixample district.
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