Residents in a Sevilla neighbourhood say they have been forced to patrol their own streets at night after ongoing problems with illegal parking attendants known locally as ‘gorrillas’.
Marga Torres, spokesperson for the residents’ platform SOS El Cerezo Sevilla, said neighbours have organised themselves because of what they describe as an escalating situation in the El Cerezo area of the Macarena district.
The men hang around parking spaces and point them out to drivers before guiding them in. Once the drivers have parked, they then ask for payment.
The trend is not unique to Sevilla, with many such ‘attendants’ operating across Andalucia, especially on the Costa del Sol.
In some instances, drivers claim their cars have been scratched or vandalised after they refused to pay the men.
‘They’ve taken over the parking spaces. If you don’t give them money, they scratch your car, threaten you, insult you or smash your window. We’re at breaking point,’ Torres said.
On Monday, around 50 residents carried out the first patrol in what they described as a peaceful attempt to push the attendants out of the neighbourhood.
Since then, groups of up to 100 people have been meeting every evening.
‘We tell them politely: ‘You can’t be here, you have to leave.’ If the authorities aren’t here, what are we supposed to do?’ Torres said.
Residents claim the patrols have already reduced the problem. Torres says that previously the area was dominated by the attendants.
‘You’d wake up in the morning with shouting, they’d fight among themselves and intimidate people,’ she said.
‘I’ve seen up to four of them in Plaza Playa de Punta Umbria. Today there isn’t one.’
The situation has sparked a political dispute between the Sevilla City Council and Spain’s central government over responsibility for dealing with the issue.
Residents say they have repeatedly alerted both the National Police, Local Police and the city council, arguing the problem has existed for years but worsened after the pandemic.
‘We need solutions: more cleaning, more police presence, and surveillance 24 hours a day,’ said one member of the neighbourhood platform.
Socialist councillor Nacho Gonzalez criticised the local government, saying the situation shows ‘a lack of response to long-standing neighbourhood problems that are creating serious security concerns’.
City hall spokesperson Juan Bueno rejected the criticism, saying the council cannot replace the role of the National Police.
‘We cannot, should not and do not intend to substitute the functions of the Policia Nacional,’ he said, adding that the council has reinforced the Local Police with a new intervention unit.
The Spanish government’s delegation in Sevilla said the Policia Nacional have been, and will continue to be, deployed in El Cerezo because it is considered a priority area.
However, officials also noted that some of the issues reported by residents fall outside the force’s responsibilities.
While they deal with criminal offences such as threats or violence, the Local Police are responsible for traffic control, including dealing with the illegal occupation of parking spaces.
Despite the official presence, residents say they will continue their patrols for now.
‘We are workers, locals and shopkeepers from many nationalities who live in this neighbourhood,’ Torres said.
‘We’re good people who are tired of bad people. If the authorities don’t react, we will keep demanding solutions peacefully.’
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
