Over several hours Mossos d’Esquadra coordinated the removal of two highly occupied properties in Barcelona, a move that drew attention during a tense municipal election period. Residents in Bonanova, and others who had lived in the city’s recent years, described a sense of insecurity linked to the occupation. Political parties, seizing the moment amid the campaign, urged authorities to facilitate the release of the buildings and to restore safety for nearby communities.
For more than a month, a carefully planned operation was prepared to evacuate the two buildings with minimal disruption. The final result was deemed successful, though the initial entry faced resistance. Objects aimed at the officers included steel balls, bottles, bags of stones, construction debris, fireworks, paints, and smoke canisters, which complicated the early stages of the operation.
In a first for this kind of intervention, a wheeled iron cage shielded by protective barriers was used to reach the building perimeter and create an opening that allowed access to Kubo. Objects continued to rain down from above, but the team pressed forward with a ram as another unit crossed into La Ruïna and entered the courtyard.
Obstacles and traps, such as blocked entry points, slowed progress, yet the security of the two structures was gradually secured floor by floor while activists focused on the roof. One of the occupants clung to the wall of El Kubo, while three others remained on the deck of La Ruïna.
Seven people were arrested
As upper floors were reached, authorities identified seven activists inside the occupied buildings. The evacuation proceeded with the support of Mossos Mountain Unit and firefighters. The figures were lowered from the rooftops in a controlled manner, one after another, with safety measures in place. No serious injuries occurred, aside from a minor complaint by a police officer who was momentarily near the action.
Commanders tracked the operation from the Command Center at the Barcelona police headquarters, coordinating efforts with real-time video feeds provided by deployed drones. In addition to riot units, Mossos mobilized canine, aviation and mountain teams to ensure a smooth evacuation. The occupants, six men and one woman of legal age, surrendered without resistance but remained detained for charges related to attack and disobedience to authority. Sareb, the owner of the buildings, announced it would reinforce private security to deter future occupations.
Political visit
Once the premises were secured, Interior Minister Joan Ignasi Elena, chief commissioner Eduard Sallent, and the director general of the Generalitat Police inspected the vacant properties. Pere Ferrer and Maria Eugènia Gay, along with other regional and city officials, discussed the operation. Elena described the evacuation as successful and noted that no significant incidents occurred, while Sallent emphasized that the priority outcome was ensuring that no one was harmed.
Brief protest
During the clearance, about a hundred activists dressed in black and wearing hoods gathered nearby. While they did not stay inside the buildings long, supporters loitered around the area. Mossos reported that the protest involved some property disturbance at a real estate company before dispersing.
Slogans and cheers echoed in support of the officers who led the operation, with one banner reading a message about the impact of luxury on housing. After the eviction followed the court’s instructions, the properties were returned to their owner, Sareb.