Protests and tension against the reception of B9 migrants in Badalona

The opposition of a handful of Badalona residents derailed the emergency plan to house 15 of the people evicted on Wednesday from the B9 Institute. The group, numbering a few dozen, blocked the entrance to the Nuestra Señora de Montserrat parish in Badalona to prevent the implementation of the plan agreed upon between social organizations and the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion to assist several particularly vulnerable young people among those evicted. But just minutes before 8 p.m. – the scheduled opening time – the protesters stood their ground, shouting "they shall not pass." Ultimately, Cáritas and the Red Cross decided to halt the initial plan and transferred some of the young sub-Saharan Africans to other shelters for the night. Finding a suitable space like the parish took four days of negotiations between the organizations and the department, who finally reached an agreement on Saturday afternoon without the involvement of the City Council. The city council remained aloof from any intention of assisting the evicted residents, and its mayor, Xavier García Albiol of the People's Party, insisted that he does not plan to allocate "a single euro" to this humanitarian cause, even though it is the competent authority.

But Albiol didn't miss the neighborhood protest, a very small one compared to the wave of solidarity shown to those evicted from the B9 building. Before 9 p.m., the mayor appeared before the assembled crowd to—he said—"explain" the situation and promised to "speak tomorrow [Monday] with the regional minister [Mònica Martínez Bravo]" to inform her of the rejection. "I knew this would happen because I know my city," the mayor exclaimed to the protesters, who greeted him with applause. The regional minister and the mayor will speak tomorrow at some point during the day, although it is still unclear whether it will be in person or by phone.

The residents shouted insults at the two or three young sub-Saharan Africans who approached the church to enter at the required time. They yelled "murderers" and "thieves" at them and also threw stones. Meanwhile, Red Cross emergency team personnel were unloading the necessary equipment to provide care to those evacuated.

Since Wednesday's eviction from the former high school, where some 200 people remained, Albiol has repeatedly stated in the media and on his social media profiles his refusal to accept the displaced residents. He has dismissed the condemnations issued by UN rapporteurs regarding the decision to evict the high school residents without offering them any alternative housing. In a video posted on X, he calculated how much it would cost the city council to provide shelter for the young sub-Saharan Africans and accused them of degrading Sant Roc, the neighborhood where the B9 building is located and where about fifty of those evicted have been relocated. "At the rally, he acted like an arsonist firefighter," a witness to the protest described.

A second rally

The protest across from the parish church wasn't the only one against the presence of and assistance to those evicted. A few kilometers away, there was also a demonstration at the gates of the Can Bofí Vell municipal shelter, which Albiol ordered closed almost two years ago, leaving dozens of people homeless. Inside this center, which has been closed and fenced off ever since, some 30 people evicted from the B9 shelter had sought refuge there for the past five days with the help of a group of volunteers. They were only discovered today. First, a small group of people went to the shelter's gates to boo the relocated individuals, and shortly afterward, dozens more joined them, adopting a more aggressive attitude toward the immigrants. The local police arrived to identify the young people, who were able to prove that they had occupied the shelter for more than 48 hours and, therefore, legally, could not be evicted. The young people remained inside and planned to spend the night.

Albiol has also arrived here to repeat the words of the parishioners. "He gave his usual speech and promised that he will evict them tomorrow, Monday," a witness explained to ARA, adding that the gathering was an "organized event."

In an open letter to the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, the group of evicted people now sleeping in Can Bofí Vell justifies having "sheltered themselves from the street, the cold, and the rain in the Badalona municipal shelter" because that was the condition set by the judge who ordered the eviction. Albiol disobeyed, however, leaving them out in the open. "It is the place that is rightfully ours. We cannot stand idly by while you violate our rights. It is shameful and unjust," the letter states. "Now we ask ourselves, we ask you, what will happen: Will you leave us back on the street again without any alternative, or will you have time to find a solution for those of us forced to live like this? We await your response with great interest," concludes the letter addressed to the president.

Albiol had rejected the request from the Minister of Social Rights to reopen the shelter for the evicted, claiming that it did not meet optimal safety conditions. However, people who have been inside have asserted that Albiol "lied." According to their accounts, they found the shelter clean and tidy, with sheets on the beds, canned goods in the pantry, and even toilet paper.

There are two police patrols in the area. A few minutes before nine o'clock, Mayor Xavier García Albiol arrived and proposed that the residents end their protest to give him "room" for negotiation with the Generalitat (Catalan government).

The authorities are studying the situation, and some of those affected who arrived at the parish to spend the night have been transferred to another center in Barcelona.