Homes on Babilonia beach in Guardamar del Segura were found daubed with graffiti calling for their demolition on Sunday 1 November, prompting condemnation from the Partido Popular, regional director-general Marc García Manzana and the mayor, José Luis Sáez.
The rejection of the graffiti comes alongside differing positions on the future of the homes and the restoration of this stretch of coastline.
Condemnation of graffiti and support for residents
Guardamar’s PP has described vandalism and intimidation of residents as unacceptable, arguing that disagreements over the houses do not justify threats or damage to property.
The party says the beach belongs to everyone and must be preserved, while criticising the council and Spain’s national government for what it considers a lack of projects and alternatives for the area.
Marc García Manzana, the Generalitat’s director-general for Coasts, Ports and Airports, has expressed solidarity with residents and argued that their homes were legally purchased.
The regional official has also criticised the position of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and called for investment and restoration works to protect the coastline.
Mayor points to concessions and the 2018 decision
José Luis Sáez has rejected graffiti as a form of protest and argued that the coastline should receive the protection and investment it deserves and regain the appearance it deserves.
The mayor recalls that the concessions ended in 2018 and attributes the decision to revoke them and refuse an extension to the then environment minister, Isabel García Tejerina of the PP, drawing on technical reports from CEDEX.
In a statement on 23 October, Sáez explained that the council had put forward two possibilities: retaining the homes while allowing repairs and improvements to the surroundings, or taking them back for subsequent demolition.
According to the mayor’s account, the ministry said in 2018 that it had chosen the second option, with implementation delayed by various court proceedings.
Sáez maintains that recently announced rulings allow the work to proceed and that proposed regulatory changes relating to designation of the houses as a settlement of ethnological interest had not succeeded.
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