An unprecedented security alert was launched after the Spanish authorities discovered, on a website affiliated with the Islamic State, messages urging attacks during massive protests on the continent. “The police are becoming easy prey,” the document notes, which also provides detailed instructions on how to use a knife to cause maximum damage. France, Spain, Portugal and Italy are directly targeted.

(Editorial team: Europe / Security & Geopolitics)

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Europe is experiencing a toxic overlap of crises. On the one hand, waves of protests against rising living costs and the housing crisis have turned big cities into confrontational scenes. On the other hand, security agencies are on high alert after the discovery of a threat that turns these protests from a democratic exercise into a potentially deadly trap.

It all started with a discovery made by the Cybersecurity Coordination Office (OCC) in Spain. in an internal document obtained by the newspaper El País, authorities have identified messages published on a website in the jihadist sphere, affiliated with the Islamic State (DAESH). The messages were not mere statements of hatred, but an explicit and meticulous call to attacks against police officers and peaceful demonstrators.

“A rare and precious opportunity”

In the eyes of the authors of this call, the massive protests taking place in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy are not a reason for solidarity, but a “rare and precious opportunity” to strike. The document notes that huge crowds, especially in France, where the number of demonstrators has exceeded 800,000, offer ideal cover for attackers.

Moreover, the text highlights a cruel tactical detail: during clashes between protesters and law enforcement, when the police are busy managing the chaos, the agents become “easy prey”. It is a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing strategy that tries to take advantage of the cracks of an already tense society.

Instructions concerning “martyrdom”

What makes this threat even more worrying is the level of detail. The document is not limited to a simple incitement, but provides a true manual of attackers’ instructions. According to the cited sources, the call recommends “martyrdom” in the case of using explosives.

In terms of knife attacks, the ISIS affiliate site describes in detail the ideal length of the weapon to cause “maximum damage”, as well as specific parts of the body where a blow “guarantees success”. Also, in the discussions on the forum, some users also suggest the method of vehicle attacks, by intentionally entering the crowd (vehicle-ramming attacks).

The authorities’ response and the situation on the ground

The threat was taken seriously at European level. In Portugal, the Internal Security System (SSI) has announced that it is “monitoring the alert closely” the alert, maintaining coordination with the competent authorities. Spain maintains level 4 of anti-terrorism alert, which corresponds to a high risk.

This threat overlaps an already explosive reality. The protests in France have degenerated into serious violence, with the town hall of Limoges and the tourist office in Lyon attacked with Molotov cocktails. In Italy, in Milan, similar scenes took place. And in Spain and Portugal, public anger over the cost of living and the lack of housing led to daily protests and camps in the big cities.

In such a tense atmosphere, a terrorist attack could have devastating consequences, not only through the direct victims, but through the ability to blow up social cohesion and turn a legitimate debate into a civil war.

Conclusion

The discovery of this appeal reminds us of an inconvenient truth: terrorism does not need an army to cause chaos, but only an already divided society. The Islamic State has not created the protests in Europe, but is trying to turn them into a weapon. And the fact that these criminal instructions circulate freely on the Internet, while people take to the streets for their rights, should be a warning signal for all European leaders. Seeking a solution to the housing crisis and the cost of living is essential, but protecting citizens from those who want to profit from their anger is just as urgent.