Barcelona
Barcelona housing camp in Plaça de Catalunya grows and plans to stay until Friday
The protest for the right to housing in Barcelona’s Plaça de Catalunya grew from a few dozen participants to nearly 300 people, with between 40 and 50 tents set up. Campers are preparing for further nights of protest and plan to remain at least until Friday, while similar demonstrations have been reported in other cities such as Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
By Damián Ortells ·
The housing camp in Barcelona’s Plaça de Catalunya has grown quickly. It began with around fifty participants and has reached close to 300 people, with between 40 and 50 tents set up. Those taking part expect to remain at least until Friday, while similar protests are taking place in other cities, including Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Camps are a form of protest used by social movements seeking sustained visibility in public space. On housing, they usually denounce rising rents, evictions, difficulties in accessing a home and pressure on lower-income households.
For landlords and tenants, the mobilisation does not in itself change the rules governing contracts. It does show that housing is again at the centre of public debate and may increase pressure on administrations and political parties to promote or amend measures.