Barcelona’s first deputy mayor, Laia Bonet, declared this Thursday that the upcoming “Save Europe Act” demonstration scheduled for this weekend in the Catalan capital “is not welcome in Barcelona,” while confirming that local authorities will ensure public safety during the event. Speaking to reporters, Bonet emphasized that while the right to demonstrate is a fundamental right not subject to prior authorization, local officials are coordinating closely with the Generalitat and the Mossos d’Esquadra to monitor potential security risks.
Institutional Response and Security Measures
According to city officials, the demonstration arrives as part of a broader European tour by the initiative’s organizers. Bonet, serving this week as acting mayor in the absence of Jaume Collboni, noted that municipal authorities have confirmed the regional government and the Mossos d’Esquadra are fully aware of the gathering. Law enforcement agencies will evaluate the situation to determine if the event poses any extraordinary risks to public order.
Under Spanish law, public demonstrations require prior communication rather than formal authorization. However, city leadership made clear that the political platform driving the march stands in stark opposition to the city’s institutional values.
Ideological Clash Over Diversity and Immigration
Bonet sharply criticized the core tenets of the “Save Europe Act” mobilization, pointing out that its messaging relies on racist, xenophobic proclamations that contradict democratic coexistence. Organizers of the European tour promote the concept of “remigration”—the systematic expulsion or return of undocumented migrants to their countries of origin.
“Forma parte del ADN de Barcelona, la diversidad,” Bonet stated, highlighting that the city’s history is built on welcoming people from all over the world, which justifies the administration’s firm stance against the platform’s rhetoric.
Antifascist Counter-Mobilizations Planned
The announcement of the march has triggered immediate pushback from grassroots organizations in the Catalan capital. The Coordinadora Antifascista de Barcelona and SomAntifeixistes have publicly condemned the presence of the far-right initiative, denouncing its anti-immigrant platform.
In response to the “Save Europe Act” event—which organizers scheduled for 19:00 in Plaça de Sant Jaume—antifascist collectives have called for a separate protest at the same location one hour earlier, at 18:00 on Saturday. These groups argue that Barcelona remains an explicitly antiracist city committed to pushing back against the rise of reactionary discourse.
