Police carry out 2,264 identity checks in Barcelona during Blocus security operation

Barcelona saw a major police operation on Saturday evening as authorities moved to prevent further disturbances linked to the Blocus movement, following last week's looting of shops across the city.

Officers from Catalonia's Mossos d'Esquadra and Barcelona's Guardia Urbana deployed around Plaça de Catalunya and Passeig de Gràcia, where some businesses closed early or protected their shopfronts.

The operation resulted in 2,264 identity checks, 181 reports for carrying potentially dangerous weapons and 10 arrests across Catalonia, according to Interior Minister Núria Parlon.

The heavy security presence surprised some tourists and residents, although Barcelona Oberta, the city's business association, said commercial activity had proceeded normally, with no incidents reported.

Parlon defended the operation as necessary to reassure the public and prevent a repeat of the previous week's violence.