Protesters stop Barcelona city tourist bus to denounce 'attempted eviction'

A group of activists stopped a Barcelona hop on hop off tourist bus for a period of time near the Arc de Triomf on Wednesday.

The activists were all part of collectives that are occupying the old Massana school in the city's old town and using it as a space for social use.

According to the police, the bus was stopped for the time of the protest but was not damaged.

The protest action, as explained by the collectives involved, was done to denounce "the attempted eviction" of the old Massana building in the Raval area of Barcelona.

The city council has recently opened a case to recover the site of the old Massana school, as the property is municipally owned. As of now, however, there is no eviction date on the table.

As a protest, the activists unfurled a banner on the bus to demand that the local council grant them the space.

According to the activists, mayor Jaume Collboni and security councilor for Ciutat Vella, Albert Batlle, want to continue "the touristification" of the Raval neighborhood.

The council, meanwhile, says that it is not yet defined what they will use the space for.

During Wednesday's protest, the activists lit smoke cans and read out a manifesto.

They say the space has used by entities and organizations in the Raval neighborhood during the pandemic to respond to the basic needs of neighbors, and has since grown to become "an essential hub" in the community.

Activities such as Catalan classes, trade union advice, cultural programs, sports, and "popular school" classes for children take place at the site.