Israeli Comedian Slams Barcelona Over Riots, Calls City 'Paradise for Thieves'

Israeli comedian Orel Tzabari, known for his role in the satirical show 'Eretz Nehederet', posted a video on his Instagram account showing burning streets, looted stores, and police chasing looters in Barcelona. He sharply criticized the city's handling of crime, stating, "A country that doesn't know how to deal with the appalling phenomenon of pickpocketing when it's still small, no wonder it explodes in its face one day." He added, "Yuck, I hated Barcelona, a paradise for thieves," concluding, "Europe as we knew it is no more... Sad."

The post came amid reports from Spanish authorities that 128 people were arrested in Barcelona between Saturday and Sunday on suspicion of looting and vandalism. The riots, which began the previous evening, are reminiscent of similar incidents recently in Italy and France. Catalan police reported that 73 of those arrested were minors, and only two had prior criminal records.

Meanwhile, in Milan, thousands demonstrated in the streets. However, extensive preparations by the Italian government, including the deployment of military and police forces, preventative arrests, and roadblocks at city entrances, prevented mass riots and significantly reduced the scale of confrontations compared to the previous week. Despite this, many businesses, particularly luxury stores in the fashion district like Tiffany, Gucci, and Omega, quickly boarded up their storefronts with wood in anticipation of damage and looting.