Turó de la Rovira Neighborhood Council has announced that this Monday it will present a formal request to the Horta-Ginardó district. The entity asks the Guardia Urbana to intensify sanctions and proceed with the seizure of alcoholic beverages in the area. David Mar, a member of the neighborhood platform, criticizes the current inaction. "The area should be cleared of bottles and the alcohol confiscated, but there's no way," he assures, while the entity proposes reforesting the hill to hinder the installations of groups that come to consume.
The council maintains a police presence with civic agents and traffic controllers since 2023. The City Council admits that groups of tourists do not comply with closing times and consume alcohol in public spaces, which generates constant tensions.
The situation has worsened with recent violent incidents. A couple of weeks ago, young people broke into the access staircase to Alexander's home, destroyed flowerpots, and physically confronted him.
"The area should be unbottled and the alcohol confiscated, but there's no way"
Alexander requested to install barbed wire for protection, but the police denied the request. Faced with this limitation, the resident opted to plant cacti along the existing barrier as a natural deterrent.
The security risks are evident. A drunk driver ran over a traffic control employee last Sunday, who remained hospitalized for a day and a half.
Social tension and direct impact
The guards report monthly incidents that include stone throwing and knife threats. This violence directly affects residents, such as a 78-year-old neighbor who reports daily intrusions.
This elderly man remembers having received a beating three years ago for photographing people climbing. He also mentions a 70-year-old resident who suffers from nocturnal intrusions and suffered a fire attempt in her vehicle.
"They have asked him for corkscrews and water to bathe, to which he denies any help"
Joan, another neighbor, denounces false food deliveries and permanent graffiti on his car. The woman adds that they have requested personal items from her, to which she has always refused to provide them.
The displacement of the problem affects adjacent houses and Mühlberg street. The fence installed by the City Council cost 1.6 million euros and was erected three years ago, but it has not managed to contain the invasion.
The residents remember past times with greater respect among neighbors. Although the Cañones neighborhood had a bad reputation in the past, now the inhabitants feel a clear lack of tranquility in their homes.