Tension as police carry out eviction at Casa Orsola 

Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, carried out the eviction of a 22-year-old man from a flat in the building known as Casa Orsola on Monday. 

Casa Orsola, located at 137 Calabria Street in Barcelona's Eixample district, has become a symbol of the city's gentrification debate since it was purchased by an investment fund in 2021. 

Police noted the IDs of several people who had gathered at the entrance of the building to attempt to prevent the police from entering. 

Second attempt 

Shortly after 9:15am, around a dozen police vehicles arrived at the building. Officers cordoned off the area with vans and, amid a tense atmosphere, proceeded to remove people who were blocking access one by one. 

It was the second time this particular eviction was attempted; the first was on October 4. 

Housing rights group XHEE (Esquerra Eixample Housing Network) posted on social media that there were "more than 20 police vans, more than 140 police officers, police violence, noting peoples' IDs for no reason, and one eviction." 

Police sources consulted by the Catalan News Agency (ACN) said that force was not used at any stage. 

They said they identified several people who took part in the protest.

Not isolated case  

The flat was occupied by a 22-year-old man who "despite having a job could not bear the cost of paying rent in Barcelona," according to XHEE. 

The group criticized the fact that, due to his age, the man was not able to bring the case to court, as has happened in other cases. 

They warned that this was not an isolated case and that more than 60% of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 do not live where they would like to, due to economic reasons. The average age for young people to move out of their parents' house is around 30 years old, they pointed out.

Casa Orsola  

Casa Orsola is located at the intersection of Calabria and Consell de Cent streets, in the middle of a superblock in Barcelona's Eixample district. It comprises 27 homes and four premises for rent. 

The building was bought by the investment fund Lioness Inversiones in 2021, whereupon the new owners informed tenants that their leases would not be renewed. 

Residents who wanted to remain in their homes have, with the support of housing rights groups, resisted evictions and attempted to reach an agreement with Lioness Inversiones. 

Listen to the podcast below to learn more.