Climate organisation Climacció wants to keep the public space of Barcelona cleared of cars, motorbikes and cruise ships

Barcelona has seen one of the most strict lockdowns in the world due to Covid-19, and is still under stringent conditions. The city is normally characterised by a bad air quality. In its wide streets, cars, motorbikes and trucks are dominant. And many cruise ships port in the city. The lockdown turned Barcelona into a different kind of city. At night it was dead silent, from higher up parts of the city you the Mediterranean Sea appeared as clear as the sky, and wild boars roamed the streets.

In light of this, climacció, a climate organisation founded in 2019, is organising a new campaign “Recuperem la ciutat” (“We take back the city”) together with more than ten other organisations. In the middle of the transition from a strict lockdown to a new way of living, this is the moment to rearrange our public space for pedestrians and cyclists, for the citizens of the city. According to the organisation, a public debate about the role and the use of our public space and mobility is imperative.

In the last one and a half years, Climacció has organised demonstrations and non-violent direct actions, mostly using artivism (activism + art), to draw media-attention for the climate emergency. More specifically, it addresses subjects such as climate justice, anti-capitalism and ecofeminism. From the end of September three actions are planned: street paintings/graffiti, playful and frivolous street blockages and workshops. Het Actiefonds supports this campaign for buying the campaign materials.

The campaign is planned for the duration of one month, but ideally will continue in different ways as long as there’s no drastic action being taken in the mobility plans of the city, like an increase in bike lanes, car-free streets and improvements in public transport.

For more information, see their website and facebookpagina.