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Barça party by bus after La Liga triumph

Barcelona players boarded a bus to parade their latest La Liga trophy in front of hundreds of thousands of adoring supporters.

Published: 14 May 2013 11:23 CEST

Barça party by bus after La Liga triumph

Els Culés line the streets to celebrate Barça's 22nd La Liga trophy. Photo: LLUIS GENE/AFP

Almost half a million fans turned out to celebrate FC Barcelona's 22nd La Liga trophy win on Monday.

The team, joined by manager Tito Vilanova and his coaching staff, set off in an open-topped bus from Barcelona's World Trade Center to parade the trophy in front of supporters who packed the city's streets.

Saturday's 1-1 draw between local rivals RCD Espanyol and arch-rivals Real Madrid had mathematically guaranteed Barcelona the title even before their victory on Sunday over Atletico Madrid.

Despite the disappointment of a semi-final exit from the Champions League earlier in the month, Barcelona's supporters, known as els culés, were in the mood to party.

There was music, confetti and dancing as fans cheered their heroes along the bus route.

Leon Messi, Ballon d'Or winner and current head of the pichichi (leading scorer) table with 46 goals, received the biggest cheers of the day, closely followed by manager Tito Vilanova who has overcome cancer this season.

The players, sporting commemorative t-shirts, danced, drank cava and acknowledged the applause of the crowds.

Several players, including Cesc Fabregas posted live pictures of the celebrations to their Twitter accounts.

The party will continue next week in the Nou Camp after Barça's home game against Valladolid.

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Why has the expansion of Barcelona airport prompted mass protests?

People march during a demonstration against the expansion of the Barcelona-El Prat airport. Photo: Pau BARRENA / AFP

Several ecological and agricultural organisations, have demanded that the expansion be stopped due to the fact nearby wetlands and farms would have to be destroyed.

The demonstration took place on Calle Tarragona in the Catalan capital between Plaça d’Espanya and Plaça dels Països Catalans.

The protests still took place, even though last week, Spain suspended the €1.7 billion airport expansion project, citing differences with the Catalan government, after president Pere Aragonès said he wanted to avoid destroying La Ricarda lagoon, a natural reserve next to the airport.

Environmentalists decided not to call off the march, in case plans for the airport expansion still went ahead.

READ ALSO: Six things you need to know about Barcelona airport’s €1.7 billion planned expansion

Political representatives from ERC, En Comú Podem and the CUP also attended, as well as the leader of Más País, Íñigo Errejón; the Deputy Mayor for Ecology of the Barcelona City Council, Janet Sanz, and the Mayor of El Prat de Llobregat, Lluís Mijoler.

People from neighbourhoods across the city marched towards Calle Tarragona and could be seen holding placards that read “Nature yes, airport no and shouting slogans such as “More courgettes and fewer planes” and “Fighting for the climate, health, and life”.

One of the largest groups of people were those from El Prat de Llobregat, the municipality which is home to the airport, who were led by tractors.

People march during a demonstration against the expansion of Barcelona-El Prat airport. Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP

In addition to protesting against the expansion of the El Prat airport, people were also demonstrating against the Winter Olympic Games in the Pyrenees and extensions to airports in Mallorca and Madrid.

A representative of Zeroport, Sara Mingorría said “We are here to defend not only La Ricarda, but the entire Delta”.

The philosopher Marina Garcés also argued that the expansion of the airport would mean “more borders, more mass tourism, more control and more precarious jobs.”

The leader of the commons in the Catalan parliament, Jéssica Albiach, who also attended the protest, asked the PSOE for “coherence”: “You cannot be passing a law against climate change and, at the same time, defend the interests of Aena [the airport operations company]”, she said.

She also urged the leader of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, to “definitely say no”.

If the airport expansion in Barcelona goes ahead, environmentalists say that CO2 emissions would rise by a minimum of 33 percent. These levels would surpass the limits set by the Catalan government’s climate targets.

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