Open letter to Barcelona

To the people of Barcelona,

We’re living in times of great uncertainty. Across the world, inequalities are deepening, the far right is attacking the foundations of our democracy, and climate change is threatening life itself.

But against this backdrop, you can be proud that Barcelona has become a beacon of hope. Barcelona is proving that we don’t have to be afraid of standing up to corporate power. That there is another way of doing politics that puts people at the centre.

In the face of speculation that displaces our neighbours, Barcelona has stopped thousands of evictions. In the face of thousands of people drowning in the Mediterranean, Barcelona offers itself as a safe harbour. In the face of the existential threat of climate change, Barcelona is reducing its emissions of greenhouse gases.

Barcelona is a global example of a brave, feminist city.

That’s why it’s so necessary to defend Barcelona and Ada Colau’s mayoralty. Because the choice faced by the people of Barcelona on the 26th of May is the same choice we all face around the world: a government for the many or for the few. The right to housing or gentrification. Public water or private profits. Cities for children or cities full of smoke. Riace or Salvini. Feminism or Bolsonaro. The planet or Trump.

It’s our understanding that the results of the elections in Barcelona will determine the opportunity for change beyond your city. Those of us who want a fairer, more democratic, feminist future want and need Ada Colau’s municipalist government to continue four more years.

Now, more than ever, we need global networks of solidarity and hope. That’s why we’re proud and excited to endorse Ada Colau and Barcelona En Comú.

Signed:

18 en commun, Municipalist platform, Paris

Aaron Bastani, Co-founder of Novara Media, UK

Alejandro Bernales, MP, Partido Liberal, Frente Amplio, Chile

Alex Barcellos, Member of the Agência Solano Trindade

Alisa Del Re, Professor of Political Science, University of Padova

Ana Drago, MP, LIVRE/Tempo de Avançar, Portugal

Ana Falú, Professor at the National University of Córdoba (UNC) and Director of the Housing and Habitat Research Institute (INVIHAB)

Ana Peraica, Member of Get (Association of inhabitants of the old city core), Split, Croatia

Andrea Reimer, Former city councilor of Vancouver, Canada

Andrej Holm, Urban sociologist at Humboldt-University Berlin and tenant rights activist

Anne-Sophie Olmos, Councilor of Grenoble City Council, France

Augusto Barrera, Former Mayor of Quito and Secretary of Higher Education, Science and Technology of Ecuador, Director de FLASCO

Aúrea Carolina, MP, Muitas, Brazil

Bacqué Marie-Hélène, Professor of Urban Studies at the University of Paris Nanterre

Bancada Ativista, Municipalist platform, São Paulo

Beppe Caccia, Former councillor and deputy mayor for social affairs, Venice

Bertie Russell, Research Associate at Sheffield Urban Institute

Bill De Blasio, Mayor of New York City, USA

Bill McKibben, Writer and Founder of 350.org

Boaventura de Sousa Santos, Professor of Sociology, University of Coimbra (Portugal)

Brad Lander, Deputy Leader for Policy, New York City Council, USA

Bruno Lamour, Former president of Roosevelt France

Caio Eduardo Tendolini e Silva, Member of Bancada Ativista and #OcupaPolítica, São Paulo, Brasil

California Progressive Alliance, Political association

Camila Rojas, MP, Partido Comunes, Frente Amplio, Chile

Caren Tepp, Councilor of Rosario City Council, Argentina

Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Councilor of Chicago City Council, USA

Carmen Pérez, Co-founder of Womens March

Carmen Yulín Cruz, Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico

Carole Pateman, Professor of Political Science, University of California Los Angeles

Catalina Pérez, MP, Revolución Democrática, Frente Amplio, Chile

Cezar Santos Alvarez, Economist

Chantal Mouffe, Professor of Political Theory, University of Westminster

Charles Santiago, Member of Parliament Malaysia. Chair ASEAN Parlamentarians for Human Rights

Charlotte Marchandise, Deputy Mayor of Rennes, Fran

Chico Whitaker, Founder member of the International Committee of the World Social Forum

Chokwe Lumumba, Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, USA

Cindy Wiesner, National Coordinator Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (USA)

Clara Marina Brugada Molina, Mayor of Iztapalapa, Mexico

Claudia Mix, MP, Partido Comunes, Frente Amplio, Chile

Clémentine Autain, MP of France Insoumise

Coumba Touré, Coordinator of Africans Rising, Dakar

Cris Terribas, Member of #LaPartidaFeminista, Brasil

Cristina Jimenez, Founder and Director of United We Dream, USA

Daniel Denvir, Presenter of ‘The Dig’, USA

Daphne Büllesbach, Executive Director, European Alternatives

David Gabriel Bodinier, L’Atelier Populaire d’Urbanisme, Grenoble

David Harvey, Professor of Anthropology and Geography, CUNY, New York

Debbie Bookchin, Writer and municipalist, New York City

Dendrinos Vasileios, Telecommunication engineer member of the Telecommunications Workers Federation of Greece.

Didier Fradin, Member of La Belle Démocratie, le Collectif, Lilla, França

Diego Ibañez, MP, Movimiento Autonomista, Frente Amplio, Chile

Dilma Rousseff, Former President of Brazil

Dimitri Rossopoulos, Social Ecology Center, Montreal

Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Vice President of the European Parliament

Djamila Ribeiro, Philosopher and feminist, Brasil

Domenico Lucano, Mayor of Riace

Douzinas Costas, Professor of Law, Birbeck University, London

Dr Christine Frison, Researcher in Environmental Law, University of Antwerp and University of Antwerp

Dr Wes Bellamy, Deputy Mayor of Charlottesville, USA

Du Pente, Member of Muitas, Belo Horizonte, Brasil

Eduardo Martinez, Councilor of Richmond City Council, California, USA

Eleanor Finley, Anthropologist and Municipalist

Elisabeth Dau, Researcher and expert in governance and municipalism

Eliška Lindovská, Member of Prázdné Domy (Empty Houses), Prague

Elsa Faucillon, Deputy of Hauts-de-Seine (PCF)

Emily Clancy, Councilor of Bologna City Council, Italy

Emir Sader, Political scientist, Brazil

Eric Piolle, Mayor of Grenoble, France

Erminia Maricato, Professor of São Paulo University, Minister for Cities in the Lula administration

Estela de Carlotto, President of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo

Etienne Balibar, Professor of Philosophy, Kingston University, London

Éva Tessza Udvarhelyi, Member of A Varos Mindenkie (The City is for All), Budapest

EYATH trade union, Water workers union, Thessaloniki

Femke Roosma, Party Leader, GroenLinks Amsterdam

Fernanda Melchionna, MP, PSOL, Brazil

Franco “Bifo” Berardi, Philosopher, Bologna, Italy

Franco Rotelli, President of the Health Committee of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Italy

François Ralle, Consular Advisor for French Citizens in Spain

Frans Bieckmann, Fearless Cities Strategic Advisor, Amsterdam City Council

Gabriel Boric, MP, Movimiento Autonomista, Frente Amplio, Chile

Gabriele Zimmer, President of GUE/NGL in European Parliament

Gael Yeomans, MP, Izquierda Libertaria, Frente Amplio, Chile

Gayle McLaughlin, Former Mayor of Richmond, California and Director of the California Progressive Alliance

Geneviève Brichet, Mouvement Utopia, Lyon, France

Geoffrey Pleyers, Professor of Sociology, Catholic University of Louvain and Vice-President of the International Sociological Association

Giorgio Jackson, MP, Revolución Democrática, Frente Amplio, Chile

Giovanna del Giudice, President of the ConfBasaglia Association, Italy

Giusi Nicolini, Former Mayor of Lampedusa, Greece

Godofredo Pereira, Professor of Architecture at the Royal College of Art, London

Gonzalo Winter, MP, Revolución Democrática, Frente Amplio, Chile

Gustave Massiah, Founder of the World Social Forum

Guy Oron, Community activist, Seattle, EUA

Helen Gym, Councilor of Philadelphia City Council, USA

Hilary Wainwright, Editor of Red Pepper magazine and former Deputy Chief Economic Advisor of the Greater London Council

Igor Stokfiszewski, Researcher, activist and artist

Isabel Lorey, Academy of Media Arts, Cologne

Isin Engin, Professor of Political Science, Open University, UK

James Angel, Member of Switched On, London

Jamie Kelsey-Fry, Editor and activist, London

Jayati Ghosh, Economist and Professor at the University of Nerhu, India

Jean Marc Caron, Mayor of Loos-en-Goelle, France

Jean Wyllys, Activist and former MP, Brazil

Jilian Johnson, Mayor Pro Tempore of Durham North Carolina

João Pedro Stedilz, Economist and Co-Founder of the Landless Workers Movement (MST), Brazil

Jonas Staal, Artist, New World Summit / New Unions, Rotterdam/Athens

Jorge Amat, Filmmaker and son of the anti-francoist Victoria Pujolar Amat

Jorge Brito, MP, Revolución Democrática, Frente Amplio, Chile

Jorge Mario Jauregui, Architect and Urbanist, Rio de Janeiro

Jorge Sharp, Mayor of Valparaíso, Chile

Juan Ignacio Latorre, Senator for Frente Amplio, Chile

Juan Monteverde, Councilor on Rosario City Council, Argentina

Juan Reardon, Co-Founder of the Richmond Progressive Alliance

Judith Butler, Professor of Philosophy, University of California Berkeley

Judith Revel, Professor of Philosophy, University of Paris Nanterre

Kalle Soderberg, Member of Allt åt alla, Malmö

Laura Roberts, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Queensland

Lorena González, Councilor, Seattle City Council, USA

Lorena Zarate, President of the Habitat International Coalition

Lorenzo Marsili, Co-founder and Director of European Alternatives

Louça Francisco, Professor of Economics, University of Lisbon

Luigi Demagistris, Mayor of Naples

Luigi Zoja, Psychoanalyst and writer

Magali Fricaudet, President of AITEC (International association of Experts and Citizens)

Magid Magid, Former Lord Mayor of Sheffield and candidate in the European Elections

Maite Orsini, MP, Revolución Democrática, Frente Amplio, Chile

Maité Rodríguez, Coordinator of the Network for Women and Habitat, Latin America

Manuela Bojadzijev, Professor of Globalized Cultures, University of Berlin

Marcelo Chilvarquer, Member of #OcupaPolítica

Maria Fernanda Milicich Seibel, Lawyer, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

María Luisa Cuenca Morales, Director of Operatonal Center for Housing and settlements (México)

Mariana Belmont, Member of #OcupaPolítica

Marie-Hélène Bacqué, Professor of Urban Studies, University of Paris Nanterre

Marin Krpetić, Leader of Dobri — Get and President of the Grad District of Split, Croàtia

Marisa Matias, MEP, Bloco d’Esquerda

Matthijs de Bruijne, Artist, Amsterdam

Maurice Mitchell, National Director, Working Families Party

Menno Grootveld, Writer and activist

Michael Hardt, Professor of Philosopher and Literature, Duke University, USA

Michel Briand, Activist in the co-op economy, Bretagne Creative, Brest, France

Miguel Crispi, MP, Revolución Democrática, Frente Amplio, Chile

Miloon Kothari, Senior Advisor, MIT Displacement Research Action Network (DRAN) Former UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing

Mohamed Mechmache, Popular neighbourhoods union, Pas Sans Nous, France

Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST), Social movement, Brazil

Naomi Klein, Writer and journalist

Natalia Castillo, MP, Revolución Democrática, Frente Amplio, Chile

Ne davimo Beograd (No deixem que Belgrad s’enfonsi), Municipalist platform, Belgrade, Serbia

Nelini Stamp, National Organizing Director, Working Families Party

Noam Chomsky, Philospher and Linguist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ocupa Política, Social movement, Brazil

Olivier Petitjean, Observatory of Multinationals

Owen Jones, Writer and journalist

Pablo Vidal, MP, Revolución Democrática, Frente Amplio, Chile

Papakonstantinou Georgio, Mechanical Engineer, Vice Secretary of the Workers Union Center of Thessaloniki, Greece

PartidA feministA, Social movement, Brazil

Patrick Braouezec, Vice President of the Paris Metropolitan Area

Paul Mason, Economist and journalist, London

Paula Marques, Councilor of Lisbon City Council, Portugal

Peter Macfadyen, Founder of Independents for Frome, UK

Pierre Alain Cardona, Mouvement Utopia, Marseille, France

Rafael Reygadas Robles Gil, Professor of Anthropology at the Autonomous Metropolitan University, Mexico City

Raquel Rolnik, Architect and Urban planner, University of São Paulo

Rassemblement Citoyen de la Gauche et des Ecologistes, Municipalist platform, Grenoble

Razem, Political party, Poland

Régis Piot, Councillor of Aulnay-sous-Bois, France

Rena Dourou, Governor of Atica, Greece

Renata Avila, Executive Director of Ciudadanía Inteligente

Renata Boulos, Institute of International Cooperation for Development, São Paulo

Rita Segato, Anthopologist and feminist

Robert Brenner, History Professor at the University of California Los Angeles

Robert Pollin, Professor of Economics, University of Massachussets Amherst

Robin Blackbourn, Historian and Former editor of the New Left Review

Rocio Lombera, Director of Development, Planning and Citizenship, Iztapalapa’s Cityhall

Rosemary Bechler, Editor of Open Democracy

Ross Andrew, Professor of Political Science, New York University

Rui Tavares, LIVRE/Tempo de Avançar, Portugal

Rutger Groot, Alderman of Amsterdam City Council

Ruth Verde Zein, Architect, São Paulo, Brazil

Samia Bonfim, MP, PSOL, Brazil

Sandro Mezzadra, Professor of Political Science, University of Bologne

Sara Saleri, Professor of Philosophy and Communication, University of Bologne

Saskia Sassen, Sociologist

Selekos Dimitrios, Teacher, Chair of the SIELBE association, Greece

Shalmali Guttal, Executive Director, Focus on the Global South, India

Sian Berry, Councilor in the Greater London Assembly

Sigrid Gareis, Secretary General of the Akademie der Künste der Welt (World Art Academy), Cologne

Silvana Almaraz Reyes, Jóvenes ante la Emergencia Nacional, Mexico

Sixtine van Outryve, Sociologist and municipalist

Ska Keller, Green spokesperson in the European Parliament

Sonia Fayman, Sociologist

SOSte to Neró, Initiative against water privatization, Thessaloniki

Srecko Horvat, Philosopher, writer and activist

Steve Early, Member of Richmond (CA) Progressive Alliance

Steve Rushton, Journalist, UK

Susan George, Political Scientist

Sylvie Ducatteau, Councillor of Aubervilliers, France

Tariq Ali, Historian, UK

Tatiana Roque, Professor of Mathematics and Philosophy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Tchenna Maso, Lawyer and activist, Brazil

Thomas Coutrot, Economist

Thomas Piketty, Professor of economics at the Paris School of Economics

Toni Negri, Sociologist and philosopher

Valery Alzaga, Union organizer, UK

Vandana Shiva, Researcher and ecofeminist

Vijay Prashad, Director, Tricontinental Institute for Social Research.

Vlado Mirosevic, MP, Partido Liberal, Frente Amplio, Chile

We Brussels, Municipalist platform, Brussels

Winnie Wong, Activist and Founder of People for Bernie

Working Families Party, Political party, USA

Yanis Varoufakis, Economist

Yiorgos Archontopoulos, Water rights activist, SOSte to NERO, Thessaloniki

Yves Sintomer, Professor of Political Science, University of Paris 8

Zagreb je NAŠ! (Zagreb és nostra!), Municipalist platform, Zagreb, Croatia