A group of Barcelona residents, accompanied by the Tenants’ Union, have denounced threats, physical assaults and sabotage to evict them from a block of Magalhaes street.
Context
A group of Barcelona residents, accompanied by the Tenants’ Union, have denounced threats, physical assaults and sabotage to evict them from a block of Magalhaes street. As they explain in a statement, a few days ago an anti-squatter company removed the door of the property, at number 33 of the street, leaving the building “open to the street and accessible to anyone”, they report.
Sabotage and harassment
Since then, the neighbors have been keeping 24-hour guards “to avoid further sabotage of the facilities and to preserve the physical safety of the inhabitants”, they explain. They claim that a Russian investment fund is behind it and add that they have been harassed for three months. Those affected have lodged six complaints with the police and two lawsuits.
Repairs with own money
Among others, they explain that their water and electricity have been sabotaged with the aim of getting the residents to leave the block. They explain that they have repaired the damage with their own money.
Complaints and lack of action
On February 19, the neighbors filed an administrative complaint for housing harassment at the Barcelona City Council’s Housing Harassment Unit. This complaint was expanded on March 20 with the new facts, including the theft of the door of the farm. As they explain in a statement, they have no evidence that the council has taken any action to find out the facts reported.
Letter to the lawyer
This Monday, the neighbors and representatives of the Union delivered a letter to a lawyer who is listed as a joint trustee of the fund, asking her to stop relations with the anti-squatter effort and to return the door to the property in a manner immediate
