Housing activists protest real estate investors fair in Barcelona

Housing rights groups are protesting against The District, a trade show for real estate investors taking place in Fira Barcelona Gran Vía from September 20-22.

Around one hundred people gathered early on Wednesday morning some meters away from the Fira Barcelona venue to begin the protest, called by various housing groups such as PAH and the Tenants Union.

They oppose the fair as they accuse the organizers and participants, which include the likes of J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and Blackrock, of being speculators in the housing market. 

Shortly after, protesters marched towards the door of the Fira Barcelona, where The District was taking place. 

Some of them were stopped by the police but still continued to walk towards the door.

More than an hour after the protest started, the confrontation with the police and protestors was still going. Protestors threw paint at attendees who tried to enter the door, while some visitors were blocked from entering entirely.

As opposed to last year, protestors did not enter the venue as the Mossos d'Esquadra police had strongly armored the entrance to the venue. 

The spokesperson of the platform against The District, Sergio Barrios, condemned the congress gathering "banks, inversion funds, and vulture funds that make life impossible for those in Barcelona and Catalonia."

Around 10,000 attendees are expected to go to The District during the three days.

Second edition of The District

Inside the event, which began around 30 min later than expected because of the protests, new tendencies for the future of housing were debated. 

When it comes to the housing situation, the president of The District, Juan Velayo,  explained that "there is a lot of uncertainty" due to inflation and the increase in the interest rate, but that this makes for an "interesting moment for the market".

The president of the event was also saddened about the protests lived during the morning. "I think it is sad that some people have obstructed an event that is this important to Barcelona, Catalonia, and Spain."