Comunes denounces Albiol for the eviction of the B9 in Badalona

BarcelonaJaume Asens, a Member of the European Parliament for the Comuns party, has filed a complaint against the mayor of Badalona for the eviction of the former B9 Institute in Badalona. As he explained to Catalunya Ràdio, Asens accuses Albiol of denying public services on discriminatory grounds, committing a hate crime, disobeying a court order, and committing administrative malfeasance. "Albiol thinks Badalona is the United States and that he can act like Trump, but he cannot be above the law," he said on Wednesday. The MEP recalled that the court order authorizing the eviction stipulated that the Badalona City Council must provide an alternative, which it has failed to do. In fact, Albiol has repeatedly stated that the council "would not offer accommodation or residential resources." This Tuesday The Prosecutor's Office has already asked the judge who authorized the eviction to request explanations from the City Council. Regarding what measures have been taken to protect vulnerable people who have been evicted, Asens asserts that Albiol selectively denied aid to migrants based on their origin and social status, which would constitute a denial of public service on discriminatory grounds. The Comuns representative also points out that incitement to hatred does not require explicit expressions to be committed. He further argues that there is evidence of repeated disobedience in failing to give the Badalona City Council effective compliance with the court order that authorized the eviction. In response to this situation, the government also took action on Tuesday. The Department of Social Rights signed an agreement with the relevant organizations to to provide shelter to all those who have settled under the C-31 bridge since SaturdayThis also applies to the dozen or so people who had occupied the former municipal shelter of Can Bufí Vell, which has been closed for almost two years. The agreement guarantees accommodation for the next two months in different locations in Catalonia and also means foregoing the use of the parish of Our Lady of Montserrat, the space that could not be opened on Sunday due to a blockade by a few dozen residents.

"On this point, we have taken a very pragmatic stance. We needed to provide resources for these people and [...] we will not put them in a place where their safety could be at risk," explained the Minister of Social Rights, Mònica Martínez Bravo, on Catalunya Ràdio, who questioned the "humanity" of the B9 humanity.

Albiol considers the matter "resolved": "The residents are satisfied"

The opposition in Badalona City Council also took advantage of the extraordinary plenary session called for this Wednesday to criticize Albiol for his handling of the eviction. The issue was not on the agenda, but parties ranging from the PSC to ERC, Badalona En Comú Podem, and Guanyem Badalona demanded explanations from the mayor regarding the "humanitarian crisis" facing the city. However, the mayor responded that "the issue is almost resolved, if not resolved." He added: "The residents are, in very general terms, satisfied with the actions of their government." Dolors Sabater, of Guanyem, described as "extremely serious" the fact that the PP government evicted the 400 people from building B9 without offering them any alternative housing in the middle of winter. Aïda Llauradó (En Comú Podem) blamed them for "creating chaos," "singling out and discriminating against migrants," and fueling "hate speech," while the Republican Àlex Montornès described the attitude toward the deported migrants as shameful and appealed to the spirit of the people. "The solution isn't to shut down accommodations in parishes or to call for burning down shelters," he emphasized. What most angered Albiol, however, was the intervention of the PSC representative, Christian Carneado, who thanked the Generalitat—also led by the Socialists—for acting in the face of the municipal government's "dereliction of duty" and "lack of humanity," and reminded everyone that the Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the matter. "We should reflect on this and apologize," he told Albiol. The mayor, who agreed to speak because the issue is "current," responded that "things have started to work out well when there has been institutional collaboration. And I'll leave it at that," he said, suggesting that the Catalan government had not been cooperative until now. Having said that, the Popular Party representative doubled down on his defense of his actions regarding the B9 building. "It wasn't an action against irregular immigration or against immigrants. Badalona has immigrants, and they are welcome if they come to work. It was an action against illegal employment," he said. "I don't care if the squatters are Black or white, good-looking or ugly. This is our line of work, and we will continue to pursue it," he concluded. 120 of 180 people relocated

Regarding the temporary relocation plan for those evicted, the Minister of Social Rights, Mònica Martínez Bravo, explained in statements to Ser Catalunya that of the 180 people identified by municipal social services, 120 have already been relocated to residential places found by social organizations with funding from her department. This Tuesday, around thirty people who had been living in squalor under the bridge and had occupied the shelter were moved to various accommodations (such as hotels, rooms, or hostels in Badalona and other towns). Approximately seventy people spent the night under the highway, having given up on having a roof over their heads.