illegal vendors

Illegal street trading, known in Catalonia as ‘top manta’, is an old and complex problem in many tourist towns in Catalonia. But councils feel alone and powerless when they try to deal with it. The recent death of Senegalese citizen Mor Sylla in Salou during a police operation against illegal vending has raised the alarms about a phenomenon that has economic, social and security implications. The mayors of Barcelona, Roses, Sitges and El Vendrell, some of the towns most adversely affected by this issue, have urged the Catalan and Spanish governments to intervene because this “is not a local problem” but a national, and even international one.

In an operation against illegal street vendors, most of whom are from Western Africa and have no legal residence permit, a Senegalese citizen aged 50 died after falling from the third floor of an apartment building in Salou, an important tourist town on the Costa Daurada. According to the Catalan Police – called Mossos d’Esquadra – the victim accidentally died while trying to escape from agents who had just broken into the apartment. When police tore down the front door, the victim tried to escape via the balcony but fell to his death without the agents having even the time to “interact” with him, stated the Mossos Spokesperson. However, the Senegalese community believe the police officers threw the victim off the balcony, killing him. Violent protests erupted immediately, with around 150 Senegalese nationals throwing stones at police and intermittently obstructing the railway which crosses Salou.

Complaints regarding prostitution in Barcelona have decreased in 2012 but the penalties for drinking on the street and street vending have increased. The Local Police filed 1,091 complaints for offering, asking for or having sexual relations on the street in Barcelona, a 39% decrease compared to 2011 figures. Furthermore, there was a 7.7% decrease in noise-related incidents; 16.6% in public spaces. The number of fines issued for drinking on the street increased by 2.26%.

The police have started an initiative to crack down on illegal services on Barcelona’s beaches, visited by 3.5 million people last summer. Between June and July, the police have dealt with nearly 4,500 complaints concerning street vendors, 93% more than in 2011. The operations have a dedicated unit of 70 officers to enforce the regulations on the beaches, working both in uniform and in plain clothes.

Escaping city life in a metropolitan area the size of Barcelona is easy thanks to the beaches, which were the result of a profound urban reform. 4,5 kilometres of nature, open to the sea, the are the biggest recreational area in Barcelona. Despite an ongoing controversy over the illegality of certain vendors found on the beach, the space remains a popular get-away for locals and tourists alike.