Protest Movement Expands from Central Barcelona
A demonstration departed midday on Friday 23rd October 2026 from the ongoing housing rights encampment in Plaça Catalunya, Barcelona, with the aim of occupying an abandoned residential building in the Sants neighbourhood. The action is led by housing activists and supported by several tenants’ unions, including the Raval Housing Union, the Poblesec Housing Union, and the PAH of Barcelona. One of the encampment’s spokespeople, Arteko, stated the target is a block of flats owned by a private investment fund that has remained vacant for approximately eight years. The building, located in Sants, is described as structurally intact but unoccupied, offering potential shelter for homeless individuals currently living in tents across the city, including at Montjuïc and Zona Franca.
Priority for Homeless and Long-Term Pension Residents
Arteko confirmed that around fifty people currently living in the Plaça Catalunya encampment will be prioritised for relocation, along with individuals who have resided in low-cost pensions for over a year and are affiliated with supporting housing organisations. “If the State cannot solve the housing problem, we will solve it ourselves by doing what we can,” Arteko told media outlets, underscoring the direct action approach of the movement. He acknowledged that the interior condition of the building remains unverified, and the exact number of residents it could accommodate will only be determined upon entry.
If the State cannot solve the housing problem, we will solve it ourselves by doing what we can.
The plan is to divide the building among the supporting housing unions, with dedicated sections reserved for homeless participants of the protest. Organisers intend to establish a collective structure to defend the space against potential eviction.
Encampment Holds Strong Amid Growing Support
While the demonstration moved out, a core group remained at Plaça Catalunya to defend the encampment “with tooth and nail,” according to Arteko. The protest site, now in its fourth week, has grown significantly since its launch on 30th September 2026. Multiple sources, including Barna.News and Metrópoli, reported over 600 tents by Tuesday 20th October 2026, with estimates of up to 450 participants.
The encampment functions as both a protest and a support hub, providing daily meals through a volunteer kitchen that prepares between 300 and 400 meals. A central shelter area hosts approximately 15 to 20 homeless individuals nightly, offering sleeping bags, mattresses, and protection from weather. Additional services include an open wardrobe, a book exchange, and a Punt Lila – a designated support point for victims of gender-based violence. Coexistence rules are enforced, including a noise curfew at 00:30. Spokesperson León, a school monitor and social activist from Nou Barris, emphasized that the movement’s legitimacy stems from its inclusion of homeless individuals: “We don’t consider it an encampment without the real campers, who are the homeless people.”
Sources: La Ciutat, Catalan News, barna.news.
