Thousands of people demonstrate this Saturday in Barcelona, at the call of the tenants’ union, to demand a 50% reduction in rent and to call for a rent strike if the housing situation does not improve. The demonstration, which began around 5 p.m. on the Plaza Universitat, under the slogan “S’ha Finish!” » (It’s over!), is inspired by the one which took place in Madrid on October 13.
It benefits from the support of more than 4,000 entities, 60 committees and more than 2,000 people involved in its preparation. Among the participating organizations are the CCOO and UGT unions, organizations like the ANC and Òmnium Cultural or groups like Las Kellys or the Manteros Union, among others.
Headed by a banner with the message “It’s over, let’s lower rents. For decent housing for all”demonstrators brandished slogans such as “We will no longer tolerate evictions”, “No speculators, no banks, no vulture funds” and “Housing, free and universal”.
Towards a rent strike
“It is not possible for investors to come to our cities and play with apartments like Monopoly,” Tenants Union spokesperson Carme Arcarazo said in statements to reporters before the start of the protest. This is why Arcarazo announced that from tomorrow the union “will march towards a rent strike”: “If we unite, we have much more power than any politician or rentier,” he stressed.
The main demands of the protest are a 50% reduction in rents, the promotion of indefinite-term contracts “to put an end to blackmail and insecurity at the end of each contract”, the recovery of housing for residential use and the prohibition of speculative purchases.
The demonstration began in the Plaza Universitat, in the Gran Via district, and plans to travel along Calle Calàbria, Calle Consell de Cent (between these two points a parliament will be held in front of Casa Orsola) and Calle Tarragona until to the final destination: Sants. station. In addition, the demonstration includes columns of demonstrators coming from different points of the city. Barcelona, Baix Llobregat and Maresme.
