Three employees of desokupación company García Seguridad Integral physically assaulted two young residents on Monday in the corralones on Calle Castellar, central Seville. The confrontation followed a cut to the building’s water supply, which residents say was made without municipal authorization. It is the latest in a series of aggressive incidents reported in recent months, including a broken nose and illegal entries into homes. Journalists have also been attacked with pepper spray. Firefighters intervened after a small fire broke out in the same building.
Residents say the escalation began when company staff arrived with tools to seal the water connection. Attempts to stop the work turned physical: one resident was punched in the mouth, and another was knocked to the ground. Police responded and advised the injured residents to file formal complaints. The youths sought medical attention and plan to take legal action against the desokupas. EMASESA, the public company responsible for managing the integrated water cycle in Seville and eleven municipalities in its metropolitan area, supplies the city with water.
The ongoing intimidation has become a persistent concern for residents of the historic centre. Since the start of the year, García Seguridad Integral employees have maintained a permanent presence in the corralones, with the backing of building co-owner Alejandro Valerio. The pressure campaign is tied to a real estate project to convert the 5,239-square-metre site, currently protected and home to a charter school, into a hotel and 35 luxury apartments. The area’s traditional artisan and artist communities face mounting threats from speculation and tourism-driven gentrification.
Support for the residents has grown: 84 local associations have joined forces against the loss of these historic spaces and the desokupación firm’s violent tactics. On the day of the latest assault, company head Miguel Ángel García reportedly threatened residents with an iron bar as he was filmed. García, who has a record of police incidents, was recently detained for three days after another violent episode involving a broken nose.
Valerio, one of the basic property owners, disputes the residents’ account. He says his employees were attacked while trying to cut the water supply and that he will file his own complaint. He acknowledges that the company’s actions have sometimes crossed legal boundaries, but insists all other options have been exhausted. After an earlier violent break-in, three García Seguridad Integral employees were arrested and are now subject to a restraining order keeping them away from the building.
In 2023, the majority owners signed a €12 million sale agreement with developer Arenas de la Bellida. The deal depends on all tenants leaving and the city council amending the urban plan. Valerio says the sale has not been finalized, pointing to failed negotiations with international hotel chains in the past. He says 22 tenants remain and blames the situation on the influence of squatters, while describing ongoing surveillance and psychological strain on his family.
The dispute is unfolding amid a broader debate over water management in Seville. EMASESA has also invested in infrastructure and climate-adaptation work, while the Mesa del Agua collective has called for greater investment and higher water charges for tourist facilities. These citywide discussions provide broader policy context for water services, but they are separate from residents’ account of the cutoff on Calle Castellar.
Legal representatives for the residents expect the courts to address the growing number of complaints related to harassment and violence soon. They warn that further escalation could have serious consequences. The situation in Seville echoes other recent incidents in Spain where property disputes have raised public safety concerns, including the evacuation at La Vaguada shopping centre in Madrid following an arson attack.
Seville’s corralones are part of the city’s cultural heritage and often house artists and craftspeople. The conflict brings into focus the tension between urban renewal and preserving traditional communities. Spanish law allows property owners to hire desokupación firms, but reports of violence and legal overreach have brought their methods under increasing scrutiny. The outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings in Seville may set impressive precedents for similar disputes across Spain.
