Barcelona Rents Spark Mass Protests: Tenant Union Demands Action
Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Barcelona this Saturday, rallying under the banner of the Tenant Union to call for a 50% reduction in rent and to initiate a rent strike if significant improvements to the housing situation are not realized. The protest, which began around 5 PM in Universitat Square, carried the potent slogan "It's Over" and drew inspiration from a similar demonstration held in Madrid on October 13.
Supported by over 4,000 organizations, 60 committees, and more than 2,000 individuals involved in the planning, the event saw participation from significant labor unions, including CCOO and UGT, cultural organizations such as ANC and Òmnium Cultural, as well as community collectives like Las Kellys and the Street Vendors Union.
The protesters carried banners demanding dignified housing for all and rallied passionately with chants such as "We will no longer tolerate evictions!" and "Neither speculators nor banks nor vulture funds!". Carmen Arcarazo, spokesperson for the Tenant Union, expressed the urgency of the situation in her remarks to journalists prior to the protest, stating, "It cannot be that investors come to our cities and play with apartments like in Monopoly."
Arcarazo underscored the power of collective action, emphasizing, "If we unite, we have much more power than any politician or landlord." The main demands articulated during the protest included a substantial reduction in rents, promoting permanent housing contracts to end insecurity for renters at the end of their leases, recovering homes for residential use, and prohibiting speculative real estate purchases.
The demonstration commenced in Universitat Square, located in the Gran Via area, and proceeded along Calàbria Street and Consell de Cent Street. A speech was scheduled at Casa Orsola, situated between these two locations, before ascending Tarragona Street to conclude at Sants Station. Notably, the march featured multiple columns of protesters arriving from various neighborhoods in Barcelona, as well as from nearby regions such as Baix Llobregat and Maresme.
As the tension around the housing crisis continues to rise in Catalonia, the Tenant Union's message resonates with many residents struggling with rising costs and displacement, while their call for a rent strike signals a potential shift in the landscape of tenant activism in the region.
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