Michal Greenberg wraps: Between the Argentina of then and the Barcelona of today – where has the protest that also built gone?

Michal Greenberg compares the riots in Barcelona in October 2026 with the social protest in Argentina in the early 2000s. She wonders whether today's anger lacks the alternative building that characterized the Argentine protest, and points to suspicion of Russian interference in networks and the difficulty of young people to imagine another world.

Michal Greenberg compares the riots in Barcelona in October 2026 with the social protest in Argentina in the early 2000s. She describes how the riots in Barcelona, which included looting and smashing windows, surprised Spain, while the housing protest encampment denied any connection to them. The article notes suspicion of Russian interference in social networks, but no evidence was found that Russia organized the riots. The writer describes how in Argentina, alongside the anger, there was a building of a community alternative – assemblies, community gardens, cooperatives, and worker-run factories. In contrast, in the Barcelona riots she sees anger without parallel construction. A conversation with a young student in Barcelona highlights the difficulty of imagining another world and a sense of helplessness. The writer wonders whether the change stems from her aging or from a deeper change in the world.

Michal Greenberg wraps: Between the Argentina of then and the Barcelona of today – where has the protest that also built gone?