Dozens of people spent the night in tents at Puerta del Sol after some of the attendees of the housing demonstration decided to extend the protest there. The organisation estimates over 300,000 participants, while the Government Delegation estimates around 25,000.
Dozens of people spent the night in tents at Puerta del Sol following the housing demonstration held this Saturday in Madrid. At the end of the march, the Madrid Tenants' Union called for a return to the central square to continue the protest through camping, as reported by miracorredor.tv.
The mobilization began at 18:30 in Sol under the slogan "Not one more Maricarmen" and passed through the city centre, going by Cibeles to the vicinity of the Congress of Deputies. Participation figures differ: the organisation raised attendance to over 300,000 people, while the Government Delegation placed it at around 25,000.
We have decided to camp in Sol to demand real measures regarding housing. We can no longer endure this rentier state that squeezes us and pushes us out of our neighbourhoods
The union spread this message on social media, where they also requested materials for the campers: sleeping bags, mats, food, or water. During the night, while thousands of demonstrators continued to gather in the area, chants such as "This is for Maricarmen" and "Not one more eviction" were heard.
National Police forces were deployed in the square after 21:30, with no incidents reported so far.
The protest responds to the eviction of Maricarmen, 87, from the home she had lived in for over 70 years under an old rent contract. Among their demands, the Tenants' Union calls on the Government to include in the housing decree, which could be approved soon, the obligation to justify the non-renewal of certain rental contracts and compensation for tenants when there is no justified cause.
The group also proposes that rental contracts be automatically renewed and become indefinite, taking as a reference models from countries like England, Germany, or Austria. They also demand measures to stop evictions and freeze rent updates linked to the CPI, as well as a reform of the Urban Leasing Law (LAU) to regulate seasonal rentals and room rentals and establish effective extensions for contracts already in force.
The presence of tents in the square creates an image reminiscent of the 15M movement of 2011, although that mobilization had a different context, scale, and development. The camping continues in Sol, and the union keeps the request for help open for those who want to join or bring materials.
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