20 pro-squatters force Collboni to move La Mercè poster presentation

The official presentation of the La Mercè poster and town crier, scheduled for this Wednesday, had to be unexpectedly relocated due to the arrival of a group of protesters. About twenty people, linked to pro-squatting groups, gathered at the site with banners, whistles, and chants against Mayor Collboni. They were protesting because of the recent evictions in the Vallcarca neighborhood.

Despite the deployment of the Guardia Urbana, the City Council decided to change the location and time of the event. The presentation finally took place at eleven in the morning in the Saló de Cent of the Barcelona city council. The change occurred after continuous booing, among which slogans like "Collboni speculator" stood out.

The reason for the protest is related to the eviction of several illegal settlements in Vallcarca. According to the City Council, the actions were prompted by a report from the Fire Department warning of an imminent safety risk. The previous inspections had been rejected by the occupants on several occasions, even with a court order. Municipal authorities started a file for substandard housing before the eviction.

Although it was a minor protest action, the activists managed to disrupt an institutional event in the city. This episode is further proof of the pressure capacity of anti-system groups in Barcelona politics. Meanwhile, tension in Vallcarca and Mayor Collboni's tolerance go back a long way.

The last anti-system stronghold

In May, about a hundred pro-squatting activists occupied the PSC headquarters to demand a meeting with the government team. The mayor agreed to their demands and committed to meetings with municipal officials. This concession was celebrated by pro-squatting associations as a "victory," while neighborhood residents harshly criticized the City Council's attitude.

Vallcarca residents have spent years denouncing the effects of squatting in their environment. They claim to live amid threats, deterioration of public spaces, and ongoing episodes of insecurity. They also question that groups unrelated to the neighborhood present themselves as spokespersons for those affected. Some neighborhood associations have even requested ironic meetings with the City Council "so that their mortgages and rents are forgiven."

With PSC's usual balancing act, the City Council argues that the evictions are part of an urban plan aimed at renewing the most run-down areas. There is talk of projects such as building a central park and a green promenade between Passeig de Vallcarca and carrer Bolívar. However, the plans are being developed in an increasingly polarized environment that, in the end, harms the same people: the residents.