A viral video showing a YouTuber fleeing Barcelona’s Raval neighbourhood has reignited the debate about safety in the area. South African content creator Kurt Caz, who films in supposedly dangerous urban zones worldwide, got chased out whilst recording on Carrer d’En Robador. The clip, posted on X, has racked up nearly two million views in five days.
Caz was filming with Guillem, known for his ‘BCN a pie de calle’ YouTube channel that catches pickpockets in action. As they entered the street, Caz narrated: “I’m entering a dangerous street, there’s lots of dodgy-looking people hanging around, oh my god!” The area has a significant foreign population and visible street prostitution.
Things kicked off when a woman objected to being filmed. She threatened them with a plastic bottle and warned she’d call police. “Stop filming the women,” she shouted. Another man then appeared, clearly agitated by the camera. “You can’t film, son of a bitch, don’t film my face,” he yelled. Several residents then chased both YouTubers out of the street.
“He was trying to get close, he was ready to hit him, but it’s difficult when you’re in a situation like this,” Caz explained whilst running away. However, the safety narrative around El Raval doesn’t match official statistics. According to INE data, Barcelona’s migrant population grew 65% since 2016, whilst crime rates (excluding cybercrimes) only rose 4%.
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry’s second quarter 2025 crime report shows Barcelona’s overall crime decreased 5.8% compared to the same period in 2024. Still, social media amplifies incidents from the neighbourhood, often accompanied by racist commentary about migrants.
The video’s comments section split between people defending the content creators and others insisting the neighbourhood isn’t dangerous. Many residents argue the real issue is people filming without consent in an area where many don’t want cameras pointing at them for obvious privacy reasons.
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