The eviction of an imam in Salt sparks anger in the migrant community over homelessness.

LeapThe eviction of an imam and his family has inflamed the migrant community of Salt, which has long denounced housing racism and difficulties in accessing housing. The protests began Monday night spontaneously, without any prior communication or any organizing entity, and continued Tuesday night, in a second day of altercations and clashes that ended with at least six arrests.

On the second, more heated night, around 100 people, mostly of migrant origin, young and hooded, lit bonfires in the middle of the streets of downtown Salt, around the town hall, and threw stones at the riot police line between 8:00 and 12:00. The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) deployed public order reinforcements and activated ARRO units to contain the unrest. Police reinforcements remain active to prevent further incidents, and the City Council has also met with the town's other imams to act as intermediaries and help calm the situation.

The victim is Imam Kalilu Diawara, of the Ahlu-Sunna Mosque on Rafel Maso Street, frequented by Gambians and Senegalese, and is seventy years old. His daughter, Henda Diawara, 26, born in Salt, explains to ARA how the sequence of events unfolded: "We've lived in this apartment for twenty years. We paid the mortgage, but the bank folded five years ago, so we asked for it to be converted into a social rental, but they refused."

Eviction and attempted occupation of the same apartment

The eviction went through without incident, and the family of Senegalese origin, with six children in their care, four of them minors, was left homeless, with only the option of staying in an emergency hotel for three nights, paid for by the city council. After this time, the family turned to social services, who were unable to assist them, and on Monday afternoon, they decided to return to the apartment they had been evicted from, on Passeig Països Catalans. They outlined the door and tried to occupy it, but the alarm immediately went off, and security forces arrived at the apartment to evict them quickly, following the anti-squatting protocol.

"The police pushed my father, who is elderly, hit his head, and ended up in the hospital, just like me, from a blow to the head," continues Henda Diawara. It was after that second eviction that the protests began, on Monday night, in front of the municipality's Mossos d'Esquadra police station, where eggs and stones were thrown. On Tuesday morning and afternoon, the peaceful demonstrations continued again, this time with the support of the Diawara family and the Salt Housing Union. Later that night, and without the protection of the union and the family, the youth continued in the streets, causing unorganized disturbances.

The imam, however, has asked young people not to repeat the violent demonstrations. "We understand the discomfort; being evicted is the worst thing that can happen to you, and we know many people who have been evicted, but violence is not the solution," Henda argues. The Diawara family, for the moment, lives among friends' apartments while waiting for the City Council to offer them housing.

What's behind the protests

The protest is a response to the social unrest among the migrant community, particularly due to the lack of housing, the constant evictions, and the obstacles posed by real estate agencies when it comes to renting to them, according to the Salta Housing Union. "Since September, the situation has worsened; every week, families with children, all of whom attend public schools, are being evicted in Salta. We've been warning the authorities for some time that the situation would soon be worse, as has been seen with this social uprising," says Judit Font, a member of the union who has closely followed the case. She adds: "The people who are occupying homes are doing so by force, because they need a roof over their heads and have no way of accessing them within the normal market." The spokesperson for the Renters' Union of Catalonia expressed similar sentiments during a media conference in Sitges: "The strange thing is that there isn't a daily and continuous social uprising."

In the case of Salt, tenants complain that most apartments are owned by vulture funds and large landowners, that 60% of the population cannot afford rent over 700 euros, and that the social rental market is overwhelmed. The union does not plan to call any mobilizations for this Wednesday, but they do plan peaceful protests in the coming days to denounce the situation.

Karim Sabni, director of the Salta-based job placement cooperative Idària, also highlights the discontent of a large part of Salta society. "Young people are angry because they experience mistreatment, racism, and violence at all levels, from housing to the workplace and indiscriminate street searches," he says. And, regarding the fact that the trigger was the eviction of an imam, he adds: "The imams have nothing to do with it, it's a coincidence; if it had been a priest, the headlines wouldn't be like this. The authorities should be talking to the young people of Salta from different backgrounds, so they can explain themselves."

For its part, the Salt City Council has strongly condemned the violent events of these two days while regretting the wave of evictions that have occurred in recent months in vulture-fund flats, since these properties do not allow the council to negotiate or expand the offer of social rentals.