Concerns about Security Gain New Momentum in Cities Across Catalonia

In October 2023, two thousand people gathered in Manresa to say enough to incivility and crime. The capital of Bages was the epicenter of a wave of violence during those days. The residents' protests spread to other cities, highlighting a social concern about the degradation of security and public order.

The change of government in Catalonia relegated the issue of security to a secondary level. Partly due to the expectations of a reduction in crime and an improvement in security. But the latest disturbances have once again sparked concern among the citizens.

The first warning was in Salt, where immigrants and pro-occupation activists clashed with the police after the arrest of a sub-Saharan imam who wanted to occupy an apartment. Weeks later, the disturbances were repeated in Mataró.

In both towns, the riots lasted for several nights with burned containers and violence against the police. Last week, a massive fight among gypsies in Lleida ended with savage attacks against the police and six officers injured.

Salt, Mataró, and Lleida share the same pattern. They are cities with a lot of immigration, where counter-communities and anti-system groups join forces, eroding the authority of the police.

To these disturbances, we must add those in Font de Pòlvora (Girona), San Cosme (El Prat), and La Mina (Barcelona). There is concern about the reproduction of these patterns throughout the territory. Those who suffer the consequences are the residents, who live daily with violence and now once again say enough to so much insecurity.

Concentration in Lleida

Residents and police will gather this Monday in Lleida due to the degradation of the situation in the city. Lleida has long been suffering the ravages of violence, crime, and incivility. Especially in the neighborhood of La Mariola, where the assault occurred, and which has long been ranked among the most dangerous places in all of Spain.

In this case, it is the police unions that are leading the mobilization. These unions have long been denouncing the severe loss of security in Catalonia, as a result of the leniency of the governments in recent years. They directly point to certain social and political sectors that have disempowered the police and have whitewashed crime.

Additionally, the officers warn that Catalonia has taken a dangerous turn and that this could be just the prelude. They ask the Generalitat to provide them with legal protection, to publicly condemn the assaults on police, and to ensure that those responsible pay.

Demonstration in Mataró

Tomorrow it will be Mataró's turn, where another mobilization is called, this time led by the residents. It is also the culmination of the residents' frustration in this city with a high percentage of immigration and occupations. It is also one of the Catalan cities with the most insecurity and incivility.

In addition to the disturbances, the demonstration is preceded by the brutal assault of some Maghrebis on a thirteen-year-old boy. The attack caused great indignation that the residents want to express publicly in this mobilization. They demand urgent measures to ensure their safety and, above all, that of their sons and daughters.

This wave of mobilizations is reminiscent of the social reaction experienced two years ago in Manresa, Vic, and Molins de Rei. But above all, it reflects a situation, that of security and civility, which instead of being solved is worsening.