Throughout the two years of genocide in Gaza, Barcelona’s political and social support for the Palestinian struggle and its criticism of Israel’s actions have only strengthened.
Barcelona Airport was struck by a surprising image on Sunday, October 5. It was close to midnight, a time at which most other airports empty quickly, before the nocturnal lull. But here, a crowd of around a couple of hundred stood huddled at the arrivals hall, brandishing Palestinian flags and anxiously waiting. Some held a banner reading ‘Benvinguts’ (‘Welcome’) in black, red and green.
At last, they broke into cheers and chanted ‘Free free Palestine’ when two figures emerged from behind the sliding doors. They had just arrived on a late transfer from Madrid, after a flight from Israel where they had spent the last four days in a dark prison, dressed in nothing more than the grey sweatpants and the white t-shirt which they were still wearing: Ada Colau, former Mayor of Barcelona between 2015 and 2023, and Jordi Coronas, a city council member, were both on the humanitarian flotilla headed for Gaza before it was intercepted by Israel.
After several emotional minutes hugging and greeting the crowd that had welcomed them home, they explained their ordeal at the hands of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), who “infringed all our fundamental rights”. But they quickly made a call to continue the struggle. “There will be more flotillas, just like there will be more demonstrations,” Ada Colau said. “And, together, we must make sure they are bigger and bigger because the social pressure is working.”
That has certainly been the case in Barcelona. Spain’s second-largest city, and the largest metropolis in the Western Mediterranean Sea, has been at the forefront of Palestinian solidarity since the very beginning of the genocide in Gaza after October 7, 2023. While most of Europe has cowered at the opportunity of condemning Israel for its actions, Barcelona has been a vocal beacon – both at a political level and also at a public level. (more...)
As Global Public Pressure Mounts on Israel, Barcelona Leads the Way
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