Merchants on Barcelona’s Rambla del Raval once again denounce that the climate of insecurity affecting this battered area is ruining them, that because of it fewer and fewer people come here every day, and that if the City Council does not take strong measures soon, they will all have to close.
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This Friday, around quarter past three in the afternoon, in the very center of this central promenade, up to three people tried to settle their differences armed with knives and screwdrivers. “One of the attackers fled and the other was arrested by the Urban Guard – municipal sources reported -. The victim was taken in a mild condition to a hospital.”
“Yes – detailed several merchants in the area who witnessed what happened -, everything happened after prayer time. These people are regulars of the rambla. They are always around here, dealing, like many others. They had been arguing for several days. These people are always arguing in front of our businesses. In the end, one stabbed another who had a knife with a screwdriver.”
It all took place in front of a phone store. “Actually, these things are happening continuously, at all hours – said the managers of this business -, and the result is that no one comes to the Rambla del Raval anymore. We are always losing customers. We will have to close very soon, maybe in October, because we don’t even have the tourists who at least used to buy prepaid phone cards from us.”
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“We are desperate – added the managers of the Baba restaurant, one of the first to open on this rambla -. It’s just that no one comes anymore, everyone wants to transfer their business because we don’t even earn enough to pay salaries. A restaurant cannot operate normally with so many people dealing in front of its door. If the City Council does not take measures very soon, in the end we will all close.”
La Vanguardia recently explained how the resale of prescription drugs to users of the very nearby Baluard drug addiction care center was poisoning the atmosphere on the Rambla del Raval. Apparently, the main customers of these resellers are pickpockets who get emboldened with these medications.
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