'If you don't scratch my back, I'll scratch your eyes out' seems to be the saying to describe the relationship between the now ex-Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu (ex- as of June 30) and the residents of Sarria, one of the city's most expensive districts.
He put their backs up by changing the structure and function of some of the streets: two had new bici carrils added to them - Via Augusta and Angel Guimera.This evoked wrath of firstly residents who needed to park their (second/third?) cars on the street in the Tres Torres area and secondly, of bar owners who lost some of the pavement where they had had 'terrassas' to serve their (smoking) customers. In addition the mayor changed one 'down' road (Escoles Pies) into an 'up' road , thereby, according to residents, making life and traffic more inconvenient for all concerned (ie, them)
Before he left it seems he has made sure that any other project his team had earmarked would be carried out too, including a new Social Services centre which happens to be 20 metres away from an old azufaifa tree (150-200 years old) Sarria was, it seems, was a conservative part of the city that didn't cast too many votes for Sr Hereu, so perhaps there is there an added satisfaction on his part as a socialist mayor in this contruction to be.
Mind you it has to be said that the new Centre will benefit a lot of people and the possible demise of one tree will make not quite so many sad (1400 signatures collected against the building). And what's more government experts have said that the tree is not in danger since they are leaving a safety margin of 72m2 around it as well as watering it three times a day.
Sometimes neighbourhood protesters are justified in the face of city planners who steamroller things through. At other times they are a pain up the butt concerned only in their own little world. What this 'Tree issue' means will depends on how many axes you have to grind. - or power saws!
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