Pamplona's Locksmiths Join Revolt as Banks Throw Families From Their Homes in Spain

[No Compromise]

In the years of the housing boom, Spain's banks offered 100% mortgages. Now, while receiving millions in public aid, they are throwing people out of their homes. But there's a rebellion under way


Locksmith Iker de Carlos: 'It took us only 15 minutes to reach a decision. We all had stories of jobs we had been on where families had been left on the street.

He is a locksmith who refuses to open locked doors; neither will he replace their locks with new ones. What may seem a disastrous strategy for Iker de Carlos, a 22-year-old Spaniard starting out in the world of cylinders, pins, bolts and lock springs in his home city of Pamplona, is actually part of a growing civic rebellion in support of the biggest losers in Spain's five-year story of failing, mismanaged banks – those being thrown out of their homes after falling behind on mortgage payments.

Tired of accompanying court officials to evict unemployed people as banks foreclosed mortgages, De Carlos consulted his fellow Pamplona locksmiths before Christmas. In no time at all, they came to an agreement. They would not do the dirty work of banks whose rash lending pumped up a housing bubble and then, after it popped, helped bring the country to its knees.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/05/pamplona-spain-banks-homes

[No Compromise]

1. We need to stand up together

Spain shows the way

[leftstreet]

2. What a cool story

Thanks for posting this

[No Compromise]

3. no problem

I love this story!

[Hanzip]

4. The revolution will be won

by small acts such as this.

[No Compromise]

10. +1000000

nt

[malaise]

5. Delish!

Rec

[lpbk2713]

6. It's good to know there are still people of conscience.

Kudos to de Carlos and his colleagues.

[Fumesucker]

7. The little people actually hold the power if we but realized it and stuck together

[liberalhistorian]

8. Back during the Depression,

neighbors, friends and family of evictees as well as angry community members would actually hold "chain parties" where they would block police from enforcing foreclosures and evictions, especially in cases where they were families and the parents simply could not find work (who the hell could, with over twenty percent unemployment?). Too bad we don't do the same things here anymore; we're too busy bowing down at the feet of banksters.

[barbtries]

9. and he's good-looking too.

just happened to notice that.

[Cleita]

11. Kudos to them for having principles and decency.

However, the banks will find a guy with a saw and/or a screw driver to break in.

[No Compromise]

12. kick

nt