The mayor of Badalona and candidate of the Popular Party for Barcelona in Congress, Xavier García Albiol, has released a video on his social networks in which he shows his participation in the eviction of a property in the La Salut neighborhood, after several hours of verbal confrontations and negotiations with its occupants. The popular leader has taken advantage of the episode to demand a reform of the legislation against illegal occupation and link it directly to the general elections on the upcoming November 29.
In the images, Albiol appears arguing with one of the occupants of the property, whom he accuses of having threatened the neighbors with sticks and other objects. The recording also captures the complaints of residents of the neighborhood and concludes with the mayor celebrating the departure of the occupants amid applause from some of those present.
"What cannot be is that the neighbors have to live through these situations without finding a quick and effective response in the law", the mayor denounced in the post accompanying the video. Albiol has insisted that the legislation must protect those who want to live peacefully in their homes and neighborhoods, before introducing an electoral promise linked to the 29N.
"That is why it is necessary to change the legislation to offer real solutions against illegal occupations. And with your trust, we will do it starting from November 29," he assured.
"With the neighbors you can, with me you don't dare"
The video shows one of the moments of greatest tension when Albiol confronts a man whom he blames for the threats reported by the neighbors. The mayor reproaches him for his behavior and challenges him to face him instead of intimidating the residents of the neighborhood.
"You have a lot of balls taking sticks to the neighbors. Bring them to me", he rebukes him, before calling him "coward" and "mafioso". At another moment in the discussion, the popular leader demands that 4,000 euros be returned to some people, although the images released do not allow for an independent determination of the origin of that amount or the circumstances of the claim.
After the departure of the occupants, Albiol appears visibly satisfied with the result of the intervention and assures that the neighbors had suffered threats with sticks, iron bars, and screwdrivers.
"Together, neighbors and us, we have achieved the objective. That the squatters leave, that the violent do not get their way," the mayor states at the end of the recording.
The popular leader presents the episode as an example of the difficulties that, in his opinion, municipalities face in acting against conflictive occupations. However, the publication does not specify what administrative or judicial procedure allowed for the departure of the occupants nor if any arrests were made.