Bellvitge residents take to the streets against crime and start organizing

Concern has escalated to the top positions of citizens' concern in opinion polls. The situation is getting complicated in rundown neighborhoods of large cities. Meanwhile, due to the inaction of the authorities, residents are organizing and taking to the streets.

This is what's happening in Bellvitge, the neighborhood of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat where groups of criminals are sowing chaos with thefts and assaults. Fed up with the situation, on Saturday more than 300 residents took to the streets in Bellvitge to say enough to insecurity. Additionally, instant messaging groups have been created to share information, and some residents are organizing into urban patrols.

The demonstration was organized by the Workers' Front and supported by dozens of residents. The objective was "to denounce the growing insecurity caused by groups of criminals, mostly foreigners, who act with impunity." The residents wanted to make their concern visible and demand urgent measures to restore safety to the neighborhood.

Several witnesses have reported thefts and assaults, especially on the elderly and those with mobility issues. The young people usually loiter in search of their victim, and they follow them until they assault them. This has sown panic, and there are people who are afraid to go out.

During the demonstration, chants like "Bellvitge is not for sale, Bellvitge defends itself," and "it's not racism, enough of naivety" were heard.

The Workers' Front denounces the interests surrounding the current migration model and its consequences in humble neighborhoods. They denounce that there are areas like La Florida that are already no-go zones. But they also warn that some neighborhoods like Bellvitge are waking up and will not allow crime to take over the streets.

Security in the neighborhoods

The case of Bellvitge is representative of the rapid degradation of security and coexistence in neighborhoods of large cities in Catalonia. The latest incidents in Salt (Girona), (Cerdanyola) Mataró, and La Mariola (Lleida) attest to this. But it is also confirmed by the latest crime data provided by the Ministry of the Interior.

Residents of Bellvitge, tired of seeing these young people assault the elderly, have decided to organize to defend the neighborhood. Citizen patrols are a growing phenomenon in cities like Barcelona, L'Hospitalet, and Terrassa.

They are criticized by local authorities, who insist that the monopoly belongs to the state's security forces and bodies. But citizen patrols are precisely a reflection of the State's failure and its duty to protect citizens.