The emaciated faces of the mayors of Barcelona, as if they had spent a season subsisting on the ground, just like the around 1,200 homeless people who live in the city, shine on other electoral posters, those that Arrels, a specialized foundation, released this morning in the care of the men and women who sleep on the street. This is one of Arrels' actions to demand more measures from politicians to combat homelessness.
"Ella no pot abrir cami" (She can't pave the way) can be read on the poster dedicated to the mayor of the communes, Ada Colau, punished by the ravages of life in the open. "He can't stand again in Barcelona" proclaims Jaume Collboni, of the PSC, aged and decrepit. The candidates from Junts, Xavier Trias, ("He can't do anything for BCN") and Ernest Maragall from ERC, ("He can't be anyone's mayor") don't show their best face either.
In all likelihood, the posters proposed by Arrels will be scrutinized with more interest than the official candidates. From the bland and repetitive speeches of the parties to the provocative and realistic message of Arrels. This foundation has made use of artificial intelligence to promote this sort of metamorphosis of the four mayors with the most representation in the city council. But the message is addressed to everyone.
"We need transformative policies to fight homelessness at the municipal level and make visible the fact that homeless people are excluded, in practice, from their right to full citizenship," Arrels said in a statement. An immense majority will not be able to go to the polls this Sunday.
70% of the around 1,200 people who sleep rough in Barcelona are migrants and 26% say they are not registered, most of them because they do not have documentation.
