Badalona B9 eviction plans have been met with urgent protests from migrant survivors of a deadly warehouse fire five years ago.
On the anniversary of the Gorg tragedy, which claimed six lives, residents of the occupied former B9 school demanded a halt to their imminent removal, scheduled just days before Christmas.
Badalona B9 Eviction Reopens Old Wounds
Approximately 400 people currently live in the sprawling B9 settlement, a situation described by a recent court order as an “authentic village of misery.” Furthermore, residents and supporting social organisations argue that the cycle of displacement and inadequate housing continues unabated.
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“We are still living in the same situation,” lamented Ibou, a survivor of the 2020 fire who now resides at B9. “Now they threaten us with another eviction, but we are citizens of Badalona.”
The court authorising the clearance cited “evident risk” to occupant safety and surrounding buildings, specifically mentioning the danger of fire from improvised gas canister kitchens and illegal electrical hook-ups. Consequently, the judge ordered Badalona City Council to follow municipal protocols for assisting homeless individuals. However, advocacy groups fear this assistance may be limited to a single night’s shelter at an emergency centre.
Residents describe being trapped in a vicious cycle of inequality. They cannot secure work permits without a formal address, yet they cannot rent homes due to discrimination, a situation they label “housing racism.” This systemic failure, they argue, makes tragedies like the Gorg fire inevitable. “Politicians are there to solve problems, not to provoke hatred,” declared Yunus Rame, a B9 resident.
The protest highlights a persistent urban crisis. Meanwhile, recent analysis confirms Barcelona faces one of Spain’s sharpest urban wealth gaps, a context that exacerbates housing insecurity for the most vulnerable. Mayor Xavier Garcia Albiol has previously characterised many occupants as “criminals,” a claim strongly rejected by those living there. “Albiol continues to insult us,” said Rame. “We are people like him, we are not savages.”
According to the original report by El Periódico, the mayor stated the council would simply comply with the court’s ruling. Therefore, with the eviction looming, the survivors’ plea for a housing solution remains unanswered, underscoring a deep and unresolved social divide in the city.
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