VIDEO | A New Altercation in Sant Antoni Reveals the Degradation of This BCN Neighborhood

Turning Point in the Sant Antoni Neighborhood of Barcelona, which has long been suffering from an unstoppable process of degradation. In less than 24 hours, there has been a critical injury and a fire. Residents have been denouncing the growing insecurity in this neighborhood for some time, due to renovation works and the degradation of the 'superilles'.

The first incident occurred on Tuesday, when a 32-year-old man was critically injured in an assault. The victim is homeless, and the assault took place in a building under construction where homeless people with addiction problems are living in poor conditions. The main hypothesis is that a homeless person assaulted the young man when he refused to give him money.

Hours later, yesterday, another incident took place that caught the attention of passersby. A fight between two homeless individuals ended with a mattress set on fire at the entrance of the Sant Antoni metro. The large fire caused damage to the metro canopy and forced the mobilization of firefighters and the closure of the access.

Residents and Opposition Raise Their Voices

These two incidents have once again raised alarms about the desperate situation in this neighborhood. The image of the fire has been widely shared on X in recent hours. Alongside the images, there are comments from residents of Sant Antoni and Barcelona in general, fed up with the situation.

The residents' group Salvem Sant Antoni has sent a strong message, stating that the neighborhood is "a ticking time bomb." They warn that now the homeless addicts "are attacking each other," and that the atmosphere in the neighborhood is unbearable.

The opposition has also reacted. Jordi Martí recalls that "from Junts Barcelona, we've been denouncing the degradation of the neighborhood for months and collecting complaints from residents and shopkeepers." He criticizes the passivity of the government team and directly points to Jaume Collboni.

PP councilor Daniel Sirera has also issued a harsh message. "Violent drugged people are assaulting each other and causing disturbances while Collboni looks the other way. What is he waiting for? Fed up with the absolute chaos," he tweeted.

Ground Zero of Barcelona's Degradation

Sant Antoni has taken over from Raval as the ground zero of security degradation in Barcelona. This area has become a nerve center for homeless people, addicts, and criminals who have found refuge in the so-called 'superilles'. Also in abandoned buildings and construction areas, due to the renovation of the main artery.

Long-time residents are starting to leave, and in recent months there has been a general closure of businesses. In recent days, there have been robberies, fights, and assaults. A man caused chaos last week with a firearm, and there were two injuries from a knife.