Protests in Spanish cities against the "reverse" in sustainable mobility

Hundreds of activists, called by thirty associations, have taken to the streets of various Spanish cities in protest at the “reversal” of sustainable mobility registered in recent months and promoted by local governments from across the political spectrum (although mainly by city councils with right-wing parties or coalitions).

Bilbao, Barcelona, Badalona, Madrid, Valladolid, Valencia, Logroño, Gijón, Málaga, Murcia, Palma, Castellón, Elche or Coslada are some of the cities designated as “black spots”, visited throughout the Sunday with “bicycle festivals” two wheels or rallies like the one held in Madrid's Plaza de Cibeles, under the slogan “Not one step back.”

“We express our concern about the setback that is occurring in the Spanish state as a result of the constitution of city councils after the May 2023 elections,” can be read in the mobility manifesto, signed by groups such as Ecologistas en Acción, Greenpeace , Friends of the Earth, WWF, Pedalibre, Respira Madrid, A Pie or Madres por el Clima.

The protesters read a long list of “negative reforms” undertaken in the cities, such as the dismantling of bike lanes, the elimination of traffic restrictions gained during Covid, the removal of bollards and protection elements from school zones and the slowing down or minimizing of low emission zones (LEZ).

“Municipal authorities must have the protection of the health of the population as a top priority,” argue the signatories of the manifesto, who urge citizens to mobilize to “prevent cities from being colonized by cars again and losing the timid improvements achieved”.

Environmental associations demand that city councils reconsider their actions and ask the central government to enforce the Climate Change Law and demand that European funds be allocated to sustainable mobility.. The vice president and Minister of Ecological Transition Teresa Ribera herself has recently expressed her concern about “the steps backwards that are taking place in some cities.”

A total of 151 Spanish cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants (or more than 20,000 with poor air quality) are required to implement low-emission zones from 2023. However, a long hundred of them are still in process (the majority governed by PP and Vox, but also by the PSOE and by nationalist or local parties). In 28 territories, mostly islands, the processing has not even begun.

“The Spanish State cannot become an exception at the European level by retreating from low-emission mobility proposals and in a context of climate emergency and energy crisis,” the convening associations emphasize.

It is estimated that pollution contributes to 400,000 premature deaths a year in the European Union. According to recent research by The Gaurdian, 98% of Europeans live in areas that exceed the limits of nitrogen dioxide and polluting particles recommended by the World Health Organization (WMO).. In Spain, 49% of the population lives in areas that double the recommended maximum.