The first Anti-Racist Race, promoted by Top Manta, mobilizes nearly 10,000 people in the Sants neighborhood
Barcelona has experienced a historic day with the celebration of the First Anti-Racist Race , an initiative promoted by the Top Manta cooperative , which has turned sport into a tool for denouncing institutional racism and hate speech. Nearly 10,000 people have actively participated or have supported the route, in a massive mobilization that has traveled the streets of the Sants neighborhood.
The event started at 10 am in Plaça de Sants, where 1,500 registered people began the race shouting anti-racist slogans supported by thousands of attendees who, with banners, megaphones and posters, made proclamations in favor of the regularization of migrants. According to Aziz Faye, spokesperson for Top Manta, “once again, we have shown that, in the face of hatred, there are more anti-racists and we have come to stand up.” Faye also made a direct appeal to the political class: “The policies of the extreme right have already entered parliaments, and we must expel racism from institutions.”
More than a race
The race was inspired by similar experiences in other global cities and was supported by around fifty social, neighborhood and cultural organizations . For Top Manta, the event was not only a sporting celebration, but also a symbolic action that transformed the meaning of “running”: from fleeing repression to running side by side for a more just society. “We, the manters, live our lives on the run,” the cooperative recalls.
The event had a strong community involvement , including the participation of groups such as the fans of the football clubs UE Sant Andreu, CE Europa and CE Júpiter, who formed a single cheering stand in support of the cause. The day also had an artistic and cultural component, with musical performances by Svetlana and Boye, and the presence of public figures such as David Fernández, Joel Díaz and the drag queen Estrella Xtravaganza.
Social impact as a goal
The FAVB (Federation of Neighborhood Associations of Barcelona) celebrated the successful participation and praised the organization for making visible “the strength and diversity of Barcelona's anti-racism.” The organization's Interculturality and Anti-Racism Commission highlighted that actions like this are a clear sign of neighborhood rejection of the growing presence of hate speech in neighborhoods.
In the sporting field, Ramatouile Krubally and Martí Gutiérrez Farré were the winners of the race in the women's and men's categories, respectively, although the organization wanted to emphasize collective participation and the symbolic nature of the activity over the results.
With this first edition, Top Manta has inaugurated a new form of mobilization that combines physical action, political visibility and popular participation, with the desire to repeat and consolidate the proposal in the coming years.
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