The City Council of Sant Antoni has responded to the accusations of the PSOE and has denied that the head of the Local Police collaborated with the company Desokupa in an eviction carried out last August in Vara de Rey street.
The council insists that the police action was limited to supervising the procedure to ensure compliance with the law and avoid possible incidents.
An eviction under police surveillance
The case came to light after the broadcast of a television report showing images of the eviction in the old Café del Sol building, which led the PSOE of Sant Antoni to demand the immediate dismissal of the head of the Local Police for what they consider a “direct collaboration” with the eviction company Desokupa. According to the party, the presence of the police chief is evidence of collusion with “practices that act outside the legal framework”.
However, the City Council has denied these accusations and has detailed that last August 21 it received a notice about the actions of Desokupa in the property. In response, two patrols were sent to the site together with the head of the Local Police to verify that everything was carried out in accordance with current regulations and without incident. The agents found that no altercation took place and that both the company and the evicted persons assured that they had reached an agreement with the property, showing a signed contract reflecting this agreement.
The role of the Local Police in the operation
The consistory has insisted that the agents at no time acted under the orders of Desokupa nor facilitated their intervention. Their only function was to ensure security and avoid possible confrontations between the parties involved. “The Local Police was not accompanying the head of Desokupa, Daniel Esteve, or collaborating with this company, but at all times was acting in the police device to ensure safety and intervene if necessary,” remarked the City Council.
In addition, it has been emphasized that the occupants of the property received assistance from the municipal social services, which offered them accommodation in the low-demand center of sa Joveria. The condition of the animals present in the house was also checked and their transfer was arranged to the shelter Can Dog, which took care of them free of charge until their owners found a housing solution.
Subsequent arrest of one of the occupants
Days after the eviction, the Local Police arrested one of the evicted persons when she tried to reoccupy the property. According to the consistory, the woman was caught after breaking one of the windows of the premises with a stone in an attempt to re-enter the property.
From the City Council have reiterated that the Local Police always follows the same protocol in such situations: go to the scene to check that the rights of any of the parties are not violated, avoid altercations and act only if necessary. In this sense, they have defended that their actions in the case of the old Café del Sol were always in accordance with the law.
