Casablanca – Over 160,000 protestors marched the streets of Barcelona on Sunday, February 19 demanding that the Spanish government allows more refugees from war-torn countries into Spain.
Since it vowed to let in 17,337 refugees in 2015, Spain’s conservative-led government has accepted no more than 1,100 so far.
The current Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, a left-wing representative and a former anti-eviction activist called upon Spanish people to come to the streets in huge numbers.
The protestors marched through the city center along the Mediterranean coast holding large banners that read, “Enough Excuses! Take Them In Now!” and “No More Death, Open The Borders!”
Ruben Wagensberg, one of the organizers of the march said, “There is ample consensus in Catalonia for demanding that the government’s commitments are upheld.”
Other organizers refuted the police account that 160,000 people participated in the march and stated that almost double that number took part in the protest.
Ada Colau, who made efforts to raise the number of refugees accepted by the government, explained, “It is very important that in a Europe of uncertainty, where xenophobia is on the rise, for Barcelona to be a capital of hope.”
At a time when Germany has let in over one million refugees and vowed to take almost 700,000 this year, Spain’s conservative-led government has accepted 1,100 out of the promised 17,337 from camps in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
The Mayor of Barcelona denounced this government stance last year at a Vatican conference about the refugee crisis in Europe.
