Hundreds Protest Against Localised Madrid Lockdowns
- Thibeaux Hirsh
- Sep 20, 2020
- 2 min read
Several hundred residents in Vallecas have come out to protest the more restrictive lockdown measures in the lower income neighborhoods of Spain's capital, Madrid. The huge rallies are held to protest the so called discrimination of the poor.
Spain is currently facing the most Coronavirus cases in Europe. As a result, local officials have decided that in order to slow down the spread of disease, that more constrictive steps need to be taken in neighborhoods with high rates of the virus. Some of these measures include capping social gatherings at 6 people, only being allowed outside of ones home for work, school or medical assistance, and closing all nearby parks. These sanctions will disproportionately impact low income Madridian neighborhoods such as Vallecas due to less access to medical resources ad heightened pressure to work.
Locals were outraged by the contrast between the governments treatment of upper and lower class neighborhoods. Begona Rojas, 56 year old resident of Vallecas, says that ""It's illogical that you can go and do things in wealthier areas, but you can't do the same in Vallecas. There is the same risk of contagion. They're discriminating." Moreover, protesters are dissatisfied with their city's lack of support for lower income communities. Protesters even aimed for Madrid's regional leader, Isabel Ayuso, expressing that they want her to step down.
During a time as painstakingly frustrating as now, tension between a struggling people and leadership is inevitable. Moreover, this particular situation presents an especially complicated problem for local officials that is only fueled by an already contentious dynamic between Spanish people and the government as a result of the prevalent economic disillusion. Whether to further privilege the rich and limit the poor due to virus numbers or to all struggle as a unified city is the core of the conflict. While imposing more restrictive requirements on neighborhoods with more Coronavirus cases may appear to be an efficient means of slowing the upward trend, it is apparent that it may feel more isolating than impactful for the residents of said communities. Moreover, this cautionary situation highlights the importance of ample government support in the preliminary stages of a crisis.
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