Catalan police dispersed hundreds of antifascist protesters in Sentmenat, Barcelona, after firecrackers were thrown at an event by the neonazi group Núcleo Nacional. Four officers were injured in the clashes. The far-right group, based in Madrid, held a private gathering in an industrial polygon over 30 km from the Catalan capital.
On Saturday, January 10, 2026, hundreds of antifascist protesters gathered in an industrial polygon in Sentmenat, about 30-40 km from Barcelona, to demonstrate against an event by the far-right group Núcleo Nacional. Organizers estimated 1,000 participants, while Mossos d'Esquadra reported around 300 attendees.
Núcleo Nacional, a neonazi movement born from the protests outside the PSOE headquarters in Madrid in November 2023, had announced on social media the opening of a Barcelona delegation. However, the event turned into a 'private act' in a venue typically used for children's parties and wedding banquets. The location was revealed only two hours beforehand, at 4:00 PM, for the 6:00 PM gathering. A video from the group showed over a hundred attendees, including Ivan Chicano and Dídac González, previously convicted of assaults and facing charges for criminal organization membership, drug trafficking, and sexual exploitation.
The protest, called by independentist and antifascist groups from nearby Sabadell, started at 7:00 PM without initial incidents. Mossos deployed over a hundred officers and dozens of anti-riot vans to separate the groups. Around 8:00 PM, a group of protesters threw firecrackers at the police cordon, which responded with charges to dissolve the crowd. A Mossos spokesman stated that protesters had previously attacked with stones, containers, and pyrotechnics, injuring four officers, without specifying injury severity.
The ultra group, which self-identifies as fascist and promotes xenophobic and pro-Franco messages, faces a hate crime investigation launched by the Guardia Civil in April 2025. Police sources said they could not prohibit the act preventively but would monitor for racist speeches. On social media, Núcleo Nacional celebrated with phrases like 'We always pass' and taunts toward 'reds, progressives, and indepes.' The protest remained active past 9:00 PM.
