More than 210 groups back protest against Barcelona Airport expansion and 'climate denialism'

A demonstration against the planned expansion of Barcelona Airport has won the backing of more than 210 social, neighbourhood and environmental organisations and around 130 academics.

The march will take place on Sunday, September 20, starting at the junction of Passeig de Gràcia and Aragó and ending at Plaça de Sant Jaume, outside the home of the Catalan government and Barcelona City Council.

Under the slogan "No expansion, not now, not ever," around 10 columns have been organised to travel to the demonstration on foot, by bicycle, metro and train from neighbourhoods across Barcelona and towns in the metropolitan area.

"The Catalan and Spanish governments and [airport manager] Aena are engaging in climate denialism and acting irresponsibly when they blindly defend the expansion of the airport," said Joan Manel del Llano, a member of the Zeroport platform.

Lack of public information

Del Llano also criticised what he called the "opacity" surrounding Aena's airport regulation (DORA) process, and the lack of information provided by the Catalan and Spanish governments.

"Just days before the supposed approval of this document by [the Spanish cabinet], there is almost no public information," he said.

The Zeroport representative argued that another expansion of Barcelona-El Prat Airport would have consequences extending far beyond the "loss of biodiversity" and the "destruction of the Llobregat Delta."

"It would reinforce an economic model based on tourism in an already saturated metropolitan area, and would further harm people's access to housing across the country, directly affecting their economic situation and social cohesion," del Llano said.

"With this demonstration, we aspire to mobilise, as we did five years ago, a representative cross-section of Catalan society against the expansion of Barcelona Airport," added Clàudia Custodio, also a member of Zeroport.

"Back in September 2021, thousands of people gathered on Tarragona Street. Even though we knew the expansion had already been halted, we said then that we would probably have to come back and do it again," Custodio said.

"The time has come and we are mobilising again, and we will do so to ensure that the airport is not expanded, not now, not ever," she said, calling for a "broad and inclusive" demonstration.

Zeroport said the protest was supported by public opinion, pointing to recent polls showing that "more than 50% of the Catalan population is against the expansion of [the airport]."

Custodio said there would also be demonstrations in Palma and Eivissa against planned airport expansions in the Balearic Islands.