Barcelona Together

Billboard in Gaza reads "We salute you Barcelona"

Barcelona has suspended official ties with Israel over its violation of Palestinian rights, reports聽Dick Nichols.听

Popular activist Ada Colau

It was clear early on that something special was happening in the May鈥 鈥24鈥 鈥琹ocal government and regional elections across the Spanish state.鈥 In Spanish elections,鈥 鈥瑃he voter participation rate gets announced at鈥 鈥1pm and鈥 鈥6pm鈥 鈥 鈥瑆hile voting is still taking place.鈥 鈥琖ell before the polling stations closed,鈥 鈥瑃he news was that participation was up about鈥 鈥5%鈥 鈥琲n Catalonia and about鈥 鈥8%鈥 鈥琲n the working-class districts of Barcelona.鈥

Left-wing activist Ada Colau with Podemos leader Pablo Iglasias

Popular left-wing activist activist Ada Colau has won Barcelona's May 24 mayoral elections. Running on the ticket of Barcelona Together, which united several left groups and grassroots activists, Colau came first with 25% of the vote.

A commentator for the mainstream Barcelona daily La Vanguardia reported on May 9 on a conversation he overheard in a lift between two 鈥渆xecutives of a certain age鈥. They were talking about an opinion poll giving the radical, movement-based ticket Barcelona Together the lead in the March 24 election for Barcelona City Council. Executive A: 鈥淗ave you seen that [incumbent Barcelona mayor Xavier] Trias is losing?鈥 Executive B: 鈥淵es, [lead candidate for Barcelona Together Ada] Colau is winning.鈥