Barcelona City Council has launched a significant Montjuïc shanty clearance operation on Montjuïc mountain. Consequently, police and street cleaning teams have been deployed to dismantle informal settlements and remove makeshift dwellings. This intervention, part of the broader ‘Civitas’ plan to reclaim public space, took place on Friday morning. Moreover, it caught several residents by surprise. The city previously addressed similar concerns during a similar clearance and rehousing operation in Badalona.
The Montjuïc shanty clearance operation focused on the forested slopes of Montjuïc. This area has seen a reported increase in shanties recently. Municipal workers moved quickly to disassemble structures. Meanwhile, they loaded furniture and personal effects directly into refuse trucks.
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Home » Montjuïc Shanty Clearance: Barcelona Launches Operation to Dismantle Informal Settlements
Residents Caught Off Guard by Montjuïc Shanty Clearance
For some inhabitants, the arrival of the authorities at 10:00 am came without warning. Mary Luz, a 39-year-old resident originally from the Philippines, described a chaotic scene. She attempted to salvage her possessions before they were discarded.
“The police and the street cleaners… entered and told me to gather my things,” she said. “They said they would be back in a while and would clean everything up.” While residents further down the slope had reportedly received prior warnings, Mary Luz stated she had not been notified. “I was very surprised because they hadn’t warned me these days.”.
Witnesses described municipal cleaners dismantling walls at speed. Personal items, including a coffee table still bearing cups and decorative garden gnomes, were tossed into a garbage truck. In a desperate bid to save their belongings, Mary Luz and her companions threw suitcases and other essentials down a nearby embankment. This action kept them out of the crusher.
The Civitas Operation and Montjuïc Shanty Clearance
The clearance is part of the ‘Civitas’ device, a municipal strategy aimed at maintaining public spaces in the city. However, the timing of the Montjuïc shanty clearance has drawn attention to political pressures surrounding homelessness in Barcelona’s tourist hotspots.
The action followed recent media reports highlighting the proliferation of substandard housing in the area. Local People’s Party (PP) councilor Daniel Sirera criticised the administration of Mayor Jaume Collboni. He cited safety risks. “We already denounced that on the 13th there was a fire in a settlement in the area,” Sirera stated. He called for better coordination between police and social services to ensure legal compliance and offer alternatives.
Ron, Mary Luz’s partner, expressed frustration at the link between media coverage and the evictions. “A policeman I know just told me they’re throwing us out because the shacks were in the newspapers,” he said.
No Alternative Housing After Montjuïc Shanty Clearance
While officers on the scene attempted to direct displaced individuals to municipal social services, many residents remain wary of the shelter system. The couple, who previously worked in hospitality before falling on hard times, explained that shelters often cannot accommodate the volume of personal belongings they still possess.
“Tonight we’ll sleep over there, on some cardboard. We’ll see where we go afterwards. No, we don’t want to go to shelters. It’s just that we have a lot of things. I don’t want to lose them.”
Tension remains high among those whose homes were not dismantled on Friday. Word has spread through the community that the Montjuïc shanty clearance operation will resume early next week. Hilda, another resident living further down the slope, warned her neighbours: “They say we should get ready, that they’ll come Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, and that then they’ll clean everything up, just like up there today.”
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