Thousands of people have participated this Sunday in the demonstration called in Barcelona against the expansion of the El Prat airport, called by various environmental platforms. The objective of the march was to express the rejection of this project, despite the fact that it has already been ruled out by the central government. According to the Urban Guard, the number of protesters has been about 10,000 people.
The event took place in a festive and completely normal atmosphere, without any incidents having been recorded. The participants came from all over Catalonia. According to the Zeroport entity, one of the organizers, the influx has exceeded 90,000 people.
In the parliaments that have spoken at the end of the act, the interveners have highlighted that the AENA project to expand the Barcelona airport is only for “speculative & rdquor; away from collective interests and that will only benefit «construction companies and banks & rdquor ;.
They have also highlighted that airport expansion projects go against the climate objectives established by the European Union to reduce CO2 emissions.
The wet area of La Ricarda, which was to be affected by the extension of the airport runway, was one of the triggers for the demonstration. In fact, the European authorities had demanded that Spain preserve this enclave, which is of Community importance.
The call has also had the support of parties such as ERC, En Comú Podem or the CUP, although no ERC minister or the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, has attended, despite her well-known stance against the project. The protesters have, however, criticized the role of politicians in this matter.
“Let’s save the Delta del Llobregat”, “No to enlargement”, “Fly less to avoid collapse”, “Fewer planes and more artichokes” or “Capitalism is unsustainable” were some of the slogans chanted during the march.
Hundreds of people demonstrate in Madrid and Palma
In the meantime, several hundred people have also concentrated this Sunday in front of the Congress of Deputies to protest against the Barajas airport expansion project, in which the Government plans to invest 1,600 million euros.
The demonstration has been called by more than a hundred neighborhood and environmental organizations and has had the support of United We Can and More Madrid, who have charged against transport policies focused “in favor of the most polluting means, such as the plane.” .
The organizers have read before Congress a manifesto in which they have censured the vision of mobility opposed “to the current climate emergency context” and have warned of the “strong and very negative social and health impacts” that the expansion will have.
In the city of Palma, half a thousand people have concentrated in front of the Cathedral to also protest against AENA’s investment projects at the Son Sant Joan airport to reach 29 million passengers in 2026 (which coincides with the record reached in 2019), something that environmentalists consider totally “disproportionate & rdquor ; and contrary to the climate emergency that the planet is experiencing.
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