The new Anti-Occupation Department of the Badalona City Council (Barcelonès Nord) prevented the occupation of a home located in the Llefià neighborhood this weekend. The events occurred early on Saturday morning, when several people tried to illegally access the property, but were unable to fully consolidate the occupation, although they left the apartment door open.
Given this situation, residents of the building contacted the Anti-Occupation Department, which was in charge of carrying out the relevant arrangements with the property of the home. A few hours after the attempted break-in, the situation was resolved by securing the door that had been left open and with the property's installation of an anti-employment door and an alarm system.
The mayor of Badalona, Xavier Garcia Albiol, has expressed satisfaction with the performance of the new council because “we have promoted it to respond to conflictive and illegal jobs like this one, which imply the growth of insecurity and the worsening of coexistence for neighbors in their own homes.” He maintains that "our commitment to the residents of Badalona is unbreakable, and that is why we will continue to heed their warnings when they see their safety questioned," said Garcia Albiol, who also pointed out that "despite our involvement, in the face of illegal occupation, The fight between the administration and the squatters is unequal because in this country the current law is on the side of the squatters.”
For their part, the PSC claims that they were surprised by the press release from the City Council's communication department because just a few days ago, on municipal radio, the mayor himself, Xavier Garcia Albiol, stated that the anti-occupation department was not working because It did not have an assigned budget and it would not be until next year, with the new budget, that it would be active. The president of the socialist group, Fernando Carrera, has asked the PP government to clarify what work, tools and personnel the current anti-occupation department currently has. Furthermore, the press release would be referring to an attempted occupation because it was only interceded to place a door, a service that the council has been carrying out for years.
