Spanish influencer and model Jessica Goicoechea has publicly criticized what she describes as worsening security in Barcelona, saying she no longer feels safe in the city and urging tougher action against immigrants who commit serious crimes.
Goicoechea shared a videoocial on TikTok showing several self-defense items she had recently purchased in Andorra, including four bottles of pepper spray and a taser, referring to them as her “new essentials.” The video concludes with the message: “Now, I can go calmly through Barcelona.”
The model said she is afraid to walk the streets of the city, as she constantly hears about stabbings and shootings by local immigrants. According to Goicoechea, concerns over crime have become part of daily life in the city.
The post quickly went viral, with many women expressing support and asking where they could obtain similar products. Goicoechea later said she had received “infinite messages” from women looking for ways to protect themselves. Defending her decision to carry self-defense tools, she stated “if you don’t protect yourself, no one will.”
Following the video’s viral spread, Goicoechea released a written statement explaining why she decided to speak publicly about the issue. She said she had previously avoided discussing public safety or immigration but felt the situation had deteriorated to the point where remaining silent was no longer an option.
“I’m never going to shut up again,” she declared.
Goicoechea also responded to comments left under her original video. One follower argued that Barcelona’s rising crime was linked to immigration and blamed political failures in managing immigration policy. Goicoechea replied that she “100% agrees.”
She later clarified that her agreement referred specifically to immigrants involved in criminal activity, stating: “if you come to steal or kill, I prefer you be deported.”
Her remarks come amid a series of violent incidents recorded across Catalonia in recent weeks, including approximately thirty firearms-related events, many of them in the Barcelona metropolitan area. The region has also experienced frequent robberies and assaults affecting both residents and tourists.
