Jihadist Groups Urge Attacks on European Protests, Security Agencies Warn

OPA WIRE, Oct 23 (OPA) — Spanish and Portuguese authorities have identified online calls from jihadist groups urging militants to conduct attacks during mass demonstrations across Europe. Intelligence reports indicate that groups linked to the Islamic State are specifically targeting police officers and protesters, citing the current wave of civil unrest as a tactical opportunity for violence.

Portugal’s Internal Security System (SSI) confirmed it is monitoring the situation in coordination with international partners. According to reports from El País, the Spanish Interior Ministry discovered internal documents from the Cybersecurity Coordination Office detailing instructions for militants. These messages encourage the use of suicide bombings and vehicle-ramming attacks to exploit the chaos of street skirmishes.

The warnings follow weeks of widespread protests across France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, largely driven by housing shortages and rising costs of living. Last weekend, demonstrations in France drew an estimated 800,000 participants, resulting in significant property damage, including the burning of the Limoges City Hall and the Lyon tourism office. Similar incidents of arson have been reported in Milan, Italy.

Security officials remain on high alert as protests continue in major cities including Lisbon, Porto, and Madrid. The intelligence suggests that the scale of these gatherings, combined with frequent clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement, has created an environment that militants view as vulnerable to infiltration and large-scale disruption.