Spanish State: Some lessons of the repressive day against l’Antiga Massana (Barcelona)

We hereby share an unofficial translation of an article published by Servir al Pueblo on the eviction of an occupied social center.


Mobilizations for the defense of several occupied centers, such as l’Antiga Massana [Translator’s note: previously it was a school] conquered by the mass movements, took place in recent months. This place has been evicted after a day of repression and resistance. We are full of class hatred against the entire framework of the State that has carried out this outrage: politicians, judges and police, faithful servants of the economic interests of the bourgeoisie which makes gentrification advance in Barcelona.

The State has deployed its dogs with batons, vans, helicopters and other weapons. The price has been paid by our class, 80 wounded and 7 arrested according to the figures of the conveners of the demonstrations. We send them and the brave 10,000 people who took to the streets and filled them despite the possible costs all our deep solidarity.1

Two stories will be quickly formed in the successive days. The reaction has already created its own story. The Security Deputy Head of the municipality, Albert Batlle, has criminalized the mass movements that occupied the social center, he also accuses them of worsening the urban environment.2 We are convinced that any stupidity of the urban project that they will offer after demolishing L’Antiga Massana will be a real worsening of human life, and not the space that for years has touched the heart and transformed the reality of thousands of people’s masses.

On the other hand, a story will be formed in defense of the housing movement, but, we are already seeing it, from a defeatist view. This is because the first defense of space has been a defeat despite the mass mobilization, but not because it was impossible to obtain a victory against the State.

It is repeated now that the eviction has been illegal, but we cannot forget that there are enough administrative procedures to make evictions like that (and legally). We have to think on this topic. If the eviction has been illegal, it is fair to point it out to show the hypocrisy of the State as dictatorship of the monopolies, which disregards its own legality as long as it suits it. On the other hand, insisting on this fact as if to have a warning, or not, before the eviction would be relevant is naive and typical of the opportunistic rhetoric. Squatting this space was not also illegal? A revolutionary should not overvalue or undervalue the laws in his speech, but to consider it appropriately. All participants in this defense who want to struggle not only to denounce repression, but to crush it, should think how we are going to win next time. How can we win at the present time?

What today was injured and detained people, in a future demonstration there will be undoubtedly dead. The class struggle is so, it does not fade out, but the embers are still on and exacerbated over time. That is why we must insist on the importance of obtaining victories, because the price of blood is paid by the people and those who want to lead the people, cannot waste it. We have already seen that the State does not use piety as a criteria and it would be naive to think in the other way round.

A victory must be understood using the criteria of reason, advantage and limit that Chairman Mao teaches. The advantage, in this case, was enormous against the State. We are talking about 10,000 people, a sufficient mass of people to crush all police forces from Barcelona together.

Obviously, this belongs to the scope of theory but the numbers help us to change our way of thinking and reflect on the second aspect: the limit. Would it have been possible to prevent the access of the reaction to the space? To expel the reaction of the space once taken? To immediately squat another building during the following mass demonstration? The evictions of a squatted space is predictable even if they are not notified. If there is no plan B, the space is lost forever. The most important thing: What lessons do we get to strengthen the political line of the revolutionaries? The struggles are successes or defeats if they reinforce the revolutionary positions, if they reinforce the revolutionary line.

In Brazil, in the year 2020, the League of Poor Peasants (LCP) took over lands of the latifundium and founded the Manoel Ribeiro Camp. Aware of that they were going to be surpassed numerically by the reaction, they planned the retreat to avoid casualties among the peasants, and in their retreat they left a banner with the slogan “we will return stronger and better prepared3. This slogan would be repeated in successive and successful land occupations. This an example of the international class struggle of how tactical victories against the State can be obtained if we know how to handle reason, advantage and limit. The movement campaign that broke the fence to the Manoel Ribeiro Camp of the LCP is an example of how victories and defeats are not measured in short-term success, but in strengthening the revolutionary positions.

Consciously or unconsciously, there is generalized pessimism in the movement for housing. This pessimism is expressed with the slogans, and with the strategies and the majority of tactics. The State appears to be a giant enemy, but it is the people who is really powerful, that must be seen to crush defeatism. The heroic Palestinian national resistance gives us powerful lessons about this. The revolutionaries must show not only that there is the possibility of winning, but that the victory of the proletariat is an inevitable historical law. We must push the wheel of the story forward! As in the Manoel Ribeiro Camp, we have to dare to struggle and dare to win.

Immediate freedom for the detained for defending lAntiga Massana!

Combat and resist eviction attempts!

Dare to struggle, dare to win!

We hereby share an unofficial translation of an article published by Servir al Pueblo on the eviction of an occupied social center.


Mobilizations for the defense of several occupied centers, such as lAntiga Massana [Translator’s note: previously it was a school] conquered by the mass movements, took place in recent months. This place has been evicted after a day of repression and resistance. We are full of class hatred against the entire framework of the State that has carried out this outrage: politicians, judges and police, faithful servants of the economic interests of the bourgeoisie which makes gentrification advance in Barcelona.

The State has deployed its dogs with batons, vans, helicopters and other weapons. The price has been paid by our class, 80 wounded and 7 arrested according to the figures of the conveners of the demonstrations. We send them and the brave 10,000 people who took to the streets and filled them despite the possible cost all our deep solidarity. 1

Two stories will be quickly formed in the successive days. The reaction has already created its own story. The Security Deputy Head of the municipality, Albert Batlle has criminalized mass movements that occupied the social center, also accuses them of worsening the urban environment. 2 We are convinced that any stupidity of the urban project that they will offer after demolishing L’Antiga Massana will be a real worsening of human life, and not the space that for years has touched the heart and transformed the reality of thousands of people’s masses.

On the other hand, a story will be formed in defense of the housing movement, but, we are already seeing it, from a defeatist view. This is because the first defense of space has been a defeat despite the mass mobilization, but not because it was impossible to obtain a victory against the State.

It is repeated now that the eviction has been illegal, but we cannot forget that there are enough administrative procedures to make evictions like that (and legally). We have to think on this topic. If the eviction has been illegal, it is fair to point it out to show the hypocrisy of the State as dictatorship of the monopolies, which disregards its own legality as long as it suits it. On the other hand, insisting on this fact as if to have a warning or not before the eviction would be relevant is naive and typical of the opportunistic rhetoric. Squatting this space was not also illegal? A revolutionary should not overvalue or undervalue the laws in his speech, but to consider it appropriately. All participants in this defense who want to struggle not only to denounce repression, but to crush it, should think how we are going to win next time. How can we win at the present time?

What today was injured and detained people, in a future demonstration there will be undoubtedly dead. The class struggle is so, it does not go out but the embers are still on and exacerbated over time. That is why we must insist on the importance of obtaining victories, because the price of blood is paid by the people and those who want to lead the people, cannot waste it. We have already seen that the State does not use piety as a criteria and it would be naive to think in the other way round.

A victory must be understood using the criteria of reason, advantage and limit that Chairman Mao teaches. The advantage, in this case, was enormous against the State. We are talking about 10,000 people, a sufficient mass of people to crush all police forces from Barcelona together.

Obviously, this belongs to the scope of theory but the numbers help us to change our way of thinking and reflect on the second aspect: the limit. Would it have been possible to prevent the access of the reaction to the space? To expel the reaction of the space once taken? To immediately squat another building during the following mass demonstration? The evictions of a squatted space are predictable even if they are not notified. If there is no plan B, the space is lost forever. The most important thing: What lessons do we get to strengthen the political line of the revolutionaries? The struggles are successes or defeats if they reinforce the revolutionary positions, if they reinforce the revolutionary line.

In Brazil, in the year 2020, the League of Poor Peasants (LCP) took over lands of the latifundium and founded the Manoel Ribeiro Camp. Aware of that they were going to be surpassed numerically by the reaction, they planned the retreat to avoid casualties among the peasants, and in their retreat they left a banner with the slogan “we will return stronger and better prepared” 3 . This slogan would be repeated in successive and successful land occupations. This an example of the international class struggle of how tactical victories against the State can be obtained if we know how to handle reason, advantage and limit. The movement campaign that broke the fence to the Manoel Ribeiro Camp of the LCP is an example of how victories and defeats are not measured in short-term success, but in strengthening the revolutionary positions.

Consciously or unconsciously, there is generalized pessimism in the movement for housing. This pessimism is expressed with the slogans, and with the strategies and the majority of tactics. The State appears to be a giant enemy, but the people is really who is powerful, that must be seen to crush defeatism. The heroic Palestinian national resistance gives us powerful lessons about this. The revolutionaries must show not only that there is the possibility of winning, but that the victory of the proletariat is an inevitable historical law. We must push the wheel of the story forward! As in the Manoel Ribeiro Camp, we have to dare to struggle and dare to win.

Immediate freedom for the detained for defending L’Antiga Massana!

Combat and resist eviction attempts!

Dare to struggle, dare to win!

1https://diariosocialista.net/2025/01/29/lantiga-massana-y-la-ojs-denuncian-la-represion-tras-el-desalojo-y-la-manifestacion/

2https://beteve.cat/politica/ajuntament-barcelona-valora-desallotjament-antiga-massana/

3https://serviralpuebloperiodico.wordpress.com/2022/08/24/vivan-los-27-anos-de-la-heroica-resistencia-campesina-de-corumbiara-liga-dos-camponeses-pobres/

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