A social media-organised gathering for a subculture known as ‘therians’ descended into violence and vandalism near Barcelona’s iconic Arc de Triomf on Saturday night, leading to four arrests, including three minors.
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What began as a planned meet-up for people who identify as non-human animals spiralled into a chaotic scene involving an estimated 3,000 people. The crowd was a mix of therians, curious onlookers, and youths who reportedly came to mock the attendees. The initially peaceful event escalated into fights, property damage, and clashes that required a significant police response.
From Niche Meet-Up to Mass Gathering
Organisers used social media to bring together members of the therian community. Therianthropy is a subculture where individuals identify, either spiritually or psychologically, as a non-human animal. This phenomenon has gained significant visibility through online platforms, where members often share videos of themselves wearing masks and mimicking animal behaviours.
However, the viral nature of the call-out drew a far larger and more varied crowd than organisers anticipated. Many attendees were surprised by the scale of the event.
“We thought it would be a niche meeting, but with social media, it reached a lot of people,” attendee Rocio told the Catalan News Agency (ACN). “We knew a lot of people would come, but many more came than we expected.”
This unexpected influx included groups of young people who came not to participate but to ridicule, according to reports. Another attendee, Ian, suggested youths hijacked the event.
“There weren’t therians as such, there were people fooling around,” he said, noting that some youths wore animal masks and threw animal feed as a sign of mockery.
Disorder Erupts
Tensions between the groups boiled over at approximately 8:30 PM. According to reports from La Vanguardia and Tot Barcelona, what started as jeering quickly escalated into physical altercations, with punches thrown and fights breaking out.
The disorder quickly spread, resulting in significant vandalism to public property around the Arc de Triomf. Eyewitness accounts and images shared online show individuals setting rubbish bins on fire and tearing traffic signs from the ground. Some individuals also reportedly threw objects at security forces as they arrived on the scene.
Officers from the Guàrdia Urbana de Barcelona were the first to intervene, but due to the scale of the unrest, they requested backup from several patrols of the Mossos d’Esquadra, the regional police force of Catalonia. Together, the two forces worked to disperse the crowd and restore order to the area.
Four Arrested for Public Disorder
The Ajuntament de Barcelona and the Mossos d’Esquadra confirmed they arrested four people, accusing them of public disorder offences. In an updated statement on Sunday, authorities specified that the Mossos d’Esquadra, the police force of the Generalitat de Catalunya, arrested three female minors. The Guàrdia Urbana, meanwhile, detained one adult in connection with the incidents.
The event highlights the unpredictable nature of viral social media trends and the potential for conflict when niche online communities convene in the physical world, attracting both genuine interest and antagonistic mockery.
