Property owners call for repeal of decree blocking eviction of vulnerable tenants

Around 50 people gathered in Barcelona's Sant Jaume Square on Saturday to demand the repeal of a decree that blocks the eviction of vulnerable tenants.

Organized by the Association of Property Owners Against Legal Insecurity (Aprovij), the protesters demanded "legal security" and an end to "illegal occupations".

Holding signs such as "The owner is not the social shield" and "The rental problem is not the owner," the protesters criticized the measure.

The decree, introduced by the Spanish government during the Covid-19 pandemic, suspended evictions in cases involving vulnerable families.

Protesters called for the decree's repeal and organized rallies in other Spanish cities to amplify their message.

Kathy Diaz, president of Aprovij, reminded the crowd that the decree was enacted at the height of the pandemic and criticized its repeated extensions, which have occurred eleven times with various "excuses".

"Any excuse works for the government to extend the decree," she said, noting that it prevents the eviction of vulnerable people, while also criticizing the criteria used to define vulnerability.

"For this government, anyone who earns less than €1,800, has a dependent child or is over 60 years old is considered vulnerable, so everyone is vulnerable," she said.

Diaz also criticized how property owners are being "painted as villains," claiming they are being used as a "social shield," a responsibility they said belongs to the government.

During the rally in Plaça Sant Jaume, some property owners, many of whom are small landlords, shared their experiences of being unable to evict tenants because of the decree.

They also expressed their frustration at feeling defenseless in the judicial system.

"It can take up to two years to get to court, and even if the court rules in your favor, they tell you that they can't remove the tenant from your property because of the royal decree," said one.

The protest saw the support and presence of the conservative People's Party and the far-right Vox.