Those evicted from the B9 building in Badalona will be relocated tomorrow to a premises provided by the Church.

BadalonaWith a bit of luck, this Saturday will be the last night Amadou and his friends spend sleeping rough. They're drinking hot tea in front of the scattered tents that about fifty people expelled from the former B9 high school in Badalona have pitched under the C-31 highway bridge, after the local police evicted them the day before from the street where they had settled after being evicted. "We don't know what will become of us, but it's really hard," this young man laments.

Starting this Sunday, some of this group will be relocated to a center offered by the Diocese, which will serve as an overnight shelter between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. This is a temporary and emergency solution found by the Department of Social Rights and Inclusion and social organizations (Caritas, San Juan de Dios Social Services, and the Fundació Llegat Roca i Pi).

The premises are located in the city of Badalona, ​​and the department headed by Mònica Martínez Bravo has reported that it does not have enough spaces to meet the demand of all those evicted. Therefore, the decision has been made to relocate them, selecting the most vulnerable people and those with the most deteriorated health. Department technicians and municipal social workers have made the selection and already have a list with the names of the candidates.

Of the 400 people who lived in building B9, only half remained when the police arrived on Wednesday to evict them. In the new makeshift camp under the highway bridge, a few meters from the old high school, it was said that some of the residents have left for other towns looking for new places to occupy or have gone to the homes of family or friends. Personal social networks are proving effective in the face of the inaction of public social services.

From the Badalona City Council, Mayor Xavier García Albiol has offered no alternative to those affected by the eviction, and this Saturday, the PP politician insisted that once the rain stops, he will order the new camp to be emptied. "Camping is not allowed in the city," he stated in declarations to RAC1.

The fifty or so evicted people moved to the highway bridge late Friday after the municipal police prohibited them from lighting fires to keep warm. The rain forecast—which came true—led the group and the organizations accompanying them to seek a new shelter. Soon, tents were clustered under the pillars of the highway that bisects Badalona, ​​next to the Sant Roc neighborhood, in a space where residents park their cars. Despite the new shelter, the rainy and damp Saturday soaked the bodies of the evicted young people, and even the tents and their clothing. It was cold, and they chatted while volunteers passed by distributing hot coffee and tea. In one corner, a makeshift counter was set up offering hot food, fruit, and pastries, which neighbors and activists from social organizations rushed to bring. "There's a lot, too much, and we can't handle any more," said Cristina as she attended to the requests. Macaroni and chicken with rice is on the menu for lunch today. Later that evening, a couple of young people announced they would be bringing a pasta casserole with cauliflower that they would cook at home. Like them, other impromptu cooks promised comforting meals to combat the cold nighttime temperatures.

The campsite is a constant flow of people. Cars stop briefly on the quiet street and people get out with blankets, a tent, or a package of juice and milk. "They're bringing us a lot of food, but we can't even take a shit here," complains Disi, wearing a wool hat and a black leather jacket. In the few bars that are open, "they don't let Black people in," laments the young man, who regrets that "hate speech is directed against the most vulnerable members of society." Another volunteer, watching the growing food supply, explains that what's needed is "warm clothing, underwear, socks, and rain gear."

Aliens responding to this request, a group of young people from Mar, a young woman brought from Igualada by her, were sitting in chairs. She was deeply moved by the images of those evicted and left with nothing. She arrived with food and "many things" she found in her grandmother's apartment, who passed away a few weeks ago. She gave a backpack with a blanket to a young man also named Sidi. "Thank you very much," the boy replied, appreciating "the help of good people."

Justícia i Pau Badalona has issued an appeal to find families willing to open their homes to host one or two people for a few days. They have a list of selected candidates, "good people," says Jaume Ventura. Those interested can write to 618 31 13 84. Jimena Silva, an activist who has been supporting young sub-Saharan Africans in the occupied warehouses of Badalona for some time, has taken in Abdul for the second time. She met him in 2022 when the warehouse where he lived burned down. "Now I've told him again to come home and stay as long as he wants."

Mamadou chats with a fellow resident of the B9. Just after returning from vacation in Senegal, after eight years without seeing his family, he was evicted and left homeless. Tomorrow, Sunday, he has to go clean the nursing home where he has worked for years. "There are many of us who work and have papers, but 1,200 euros isn't enough for an apartment, living expenses, and sending money home. And do you know how difficult it is for a Black man like me to find a room?" he asks, not expecting an answer.