Tens of thousands fill streets of Barcelona to demand rent reductions

Tens of thousands of people came out on the streets of Barcelona on Saturday to demand a 50% reduction in rents, and "urgent" measures to guarantee access to housing.  

The protesters numbered 170,000, according to the organizers, while local police put the figure at 22,000. 

The demonstration – under the slogan 'It's over! Let's lower the rents' – was called by the Tenants’ Union with the support of more than 4,000 organizations. 

'Turning point' 

Organizers called it the "largest demonstration on housing ever held in the history of Catalonia," with participants coming from all over.

The Tenants' Union said the protest would prove a "turning point," as they look to build momentum behind the idea of a rent strike. 

"From tomorrow, we will start walking neighborhood by neighborhood, block by block and city by city to make it a reality," spokesperson Carme Arcarazo said just before the start of the march.  

Rent strike

The idea of a rent strike is already proving controversial, with property owners claiming it would be illegal. Housing activists have not confirmed details of how it would work, while experts Catalan News spoke to say there is some precedent in other countries. 

'Clear and urgent' demands

Among the "clear and urgent" demands of the Tenants' Union is reducing rents by up to 50%. This is in response to the increases over the last decade, which have been "systematically impoverishing" families. 

The housing activists organization also wants rental contracts to be indefinite, to prevent "blackmail and insecurity." 

Other demands include taking action on vacant, tourist, and seasonal housing, so they can return to the residential market, and prohibiting 'speculative buying' and putting an end to the 'hoarding' of housing." 

Protesters from around Catalonia 

According to the organizers, protesters traveled to Barcelona by rail from meet-up points in around fifty towns and cities throughout Catalonia, and by buses from Reus, Tarragona and Lleida.

There were also be more than fifteen marches from various Barcelona neighborhoods that joined with the main demonstration.

The demonstration started around 5:30 pm in Plaça Universitat and moved along Gran Via, Calabria and Consell de Cent before reaching Plaça dels Països Catalans, where housing activists addressed the crowd. 

Earlier on Saturday, protests took place in other Catalan cities, with 700 attending a demonstration in Tarragona, 400 in Girona and 150 in Lleida.

The Barcelona march, was similar in scale to the demonstration that took place a few weeks ago in Madrid, which was attended by 150,000 people according to the organizers. The Spanish government put the figure at 22,000.