A divided Badalona: tension and clashes after the eviction of B9

Badalona is going through a profound social crisis following the eviction of migrants from the former B9 institute. More than 500 people demonstrated this Monday outside Can Bofí Vell, the former municipal shelter, to demand solutions and support for those affected. The protest, promoted by neighbourhood and social organisations, was marked by the presence of dozens of opposing residents, generating moments of great tension and verbal confrontations between the two groups.

While demonstrators demanded accountability from Mayor Xavier Garcia Albiol, opponents responded with shouts and slogans against taking in migrants. The situation became more complicated when a second group of residents joined the protest, surrounding the demonstrators alongside a heavy police presence. Many teenagers were among those opposing the demonstration, highlighting the city’s social polarisation.

The conflict worsened after it emerged that a group of evictees had occupied Can Bofí Vell, the former farmhouse which until May 2024 had operated as the only municipal shelter for homeless people. The Urban Guard attempted to evict the building, but the occupation was already established, so legal proceedings will have to begin. The shelter was closed because the council owed €1.7 million to Suara, the cooperative that had managed the centre since 2020. The Síndica de Greuges opened an investigation and demanded a response from the local government for those affected, but no alternative service has yet been put in place.

Tension also spread to the Sant Crist neighbourhood, where dozens of residents prevented supplies from arriving to accommodate the migrants at the Mare de Déu de Montserrat parish. The emergency operation, coordinated by Cáritas, the Red Cross and other organisations, had to be diverted to other centres because of neighbourhood pressure. Mayor Albiol went to the site to call for calm and seek a temporary solution, but failed to convince the residents, who blocked the migrants’ entry.

Neighbourhood federations from Barcelona, Badalona and Catalonia criticised the municipal handling of the eviction and regretted the incidents outside the parish. They denounced the aggressive attitude of a small group of residents, who prevented assistance from reaching those evicted and hurled insults and threats at both migrants and NGO volunteers. The city remains without a municipal social dining hall, and care for homeless people depends on social organisations.