Catalan Left Justifies Pro-Occupation Immigrants' Riots in Salt

The police executed an eviction order on a sub-Saharan family in Salt on Friday, March 7. They had not paid rent for five years and did not meet the vulnerability requirements to access social housing. On Monday the 10th, the head of the family, an imam of a mosque in the municipality, was caught red-handed while trying to enter the house illegally. 

A gathering of immigrants and far-left activists ended with altercations and stone-throwing at the police. Radical organizations called for a new demonstration on Tuesday, which led to even greater riots.

Authorities and police have expressed their concern over the violence unleashed in Salt. In contrast, the Catalan left has spent the last few hours cheering on the riots and attacks against the police. They consider them justified by the defense of decent housing and against institutional racism.

Statement from the Sindicat de l'Habitatge

The Sindicat de l'Habitatge de Salt has been one of the most active organizations during the protests these days. Following the altercations, they issued a statement demanding "immediate solutions" to the housing problem and "an end to police violence."

The union denounces "police abuse" against "a family with four minors trying to exercise the right to decent and adequate housing." They claim this was "the spark" that ignited the riots. "The citizens want solutions to the housing emergency and demand an end to police violence," the statement says.

They claim that the gatherings have arisen "spontaneously." They accuse the administration of "institutional racism" due to the chain of evictions that mostly affect the migrant population. 

Support from the Left

This version has been supported by the CUP. In yesterday's parliamentary session, deputy Laure Vega congratulated and encouraged, on behalf of her party, the Muslims of Salt who attacked the police. Arran, the CUP's youth organization, has also shown "all our support to those affected and to the union and the housing movement."

Unity Against Fascism and Racism (UCFR) has given their own version of the events. They claim that the family had been unable to pay the mortgage for some time due to economic problems and were evicted without a housing solution. They denounce that they were evicted with police brutality and that the head of the family ended up in the hospital.

Anti-racist activist Fàtima Aatar says that "sooner or later this had to explode," and denounces the eviction of working families, with minors and without housing alternatives. "The only option is to occupy or return to the apartment from which you were forcibly evicted. But of course, the Mossos have carte blanche," she laments.