The president of the Remei Neighborhood Association, Silvia Jordán, stated that despite the association having requested the eviction for two and a half years, the core issues remain unresolved. The former municipal institute B9 was the largest occupied settlement in Catalunya, housing hundreds of migrants for two years before the police operation.
“"We had been asking for the eviction for two and a half years. But now that it has happened, the problem continues: we are very tired, they have abandoned us."
Jordán expressed concern for the hundreds of evicted migrants but simultaneously demanded "more security, more cleaning, and a police station" for the neighborhood. Ángel García, a former association member, agreed that the eviction was a relief for the community, noting that Guifré Street, facing the B9, was a "dangerous area" where residents often witnessed street fights.
Local workers offered a nuanced perspective. Oscar Pena, an employee at the construction company BigMat nearby, questioned the fate of the evicted individuals, many of whom had sought work or purchased materials at his company. "I understand they cannot be in that institute because it is not theirs, but where will they go now? If they throw them out just to leave them on the street, it will be worse," Pena claimed.
Following the operation, Mayor Xavier Garcia Albiol defended the action, stating that the City Council was standing "by the neighbors." Adrián Martínez, manager of a record label opposite the B9, thanked Albiol for the eviction, recalling previous serious incidents like a murder and tuberculosis cases at the site, emphasizing that residents ultimately seek "a place to be calm."
