The encampment for the right to housing that has remained in Madrid's Puerta del Sol since the end of September faces new institutional pressure. The Government Delegation has sent a letter to the camp's interlocutors to encourage them to dismantle it, while the Madrid City Council warns that it will go to court if measures are not taken to end the protest.
The letter was sent on Monday by Francisco Martín, before resigning as government delegate in the Community of Madrid. In it, the institution considers that "a reasonable time" has passed since the beginning of the encampment and that the conditions and demands of the protest "have changed." The Delegation recalls that from the beginning it has worked to protect "the legitimate right of assembly and demonstration," but considers that, once the message of the campers has reached society, it is necessary to "put an end" to the protest.
The institution's position remains with the arrival of the new delegate, Pilar Trinidad. According to sources from the Delegation consulted by Europa Press, the letter is part of the agency's course of action and does not in itself constitute an eviction order. For its part, the Madrid City Council, led by José Luis Martínez-Almeida, demands that Trinidad intervene to restore normality in the square. The deputy mayor, Inma Sanz, has warned that the City Council will take legal action if the encampment continues.
The Delegation considers that the circumstances of the encampment have changed
The protest began as an extension of the mobilizations for the right to housing and against evictions, promoted by the Tenants' Union. More than a month later, the Government Delegation maintains that the situation is no longer the same as at the beginning and that the original promoters are no longer present in the camp.
The institution has also pointed out that among those who remain in the square are people experiencing homelessness. Before resigning, Martín urged the City Council to adopt the necessary measures to assist these people. The Delegation defends that it has sought to guarantee the right to demonstrate throughout this time, but considers that the duration of the protest and the change in its circumstances justify putting an end to the encampment.
Meanwhile, the campers are evaluating when to leave the square. Among the dates that have been put on the table is November 11, coinciding with the general housing strike, although it has not been confirmed that the camp will be dismantled that day.
Inma Sanz threatens legal action over security and unsanitary problems
The City Council maintains a more forceful stance and expects the new Government delegate to act to remove the encampment. Inma Sanz has assured that, if no measures are taken, the Consistory will resort to legal action. "That's what's left for us if no decisions were made to dismantle that encampment," said the deputy mayor at the press conference after the Governing Board. Sanz also explained that the response Francisco Martín sent to the municipal request does not solve the problem, since, in her opinion, the former delegate believes that there is no inactivity and that he had no plans to act.
The municipal official insisted that this response does not solve the complaints in the area: "It does not serve to solve the problem that the merchants of Sol continue to have at the moment, problems of security, of insalubrity." The City Council's legal services are analyzing Martín's response to determine the next steps, both administratively and criminally. Sanz has indicated that she hopes that, with the arrival of Pilar Trinidad, the necessary measures can be adopted to end the encampment.
"This City Council will not stop until that encampment is dismantled because it is illegal and because it is seriously harming the citizens and merchants of that area," she stated. The deputy mayor concluded with a warning: "If there is no action in the coming days to dismantle the encampment, we will take all necessary measures in the judicial sphere, both from an administrative and a criminal point of view."
The City Council had already announced that it would act against Francisco Martín for his management of the protest. Now, the Delegation's decision to send a letter to the campers and the arrival of Pilar Trinidad open a new stage in the conflict between both administrations, while there is still no confirmed date for the end of the encampment.
