Spanish police have dismantled a protest camp for housing in the iconic Puerta del Sol square in Madrid, closing the area on Tuesday morning as cleaning workers removed tents and rubbish. The camp, which had grown into a “mini-city” with hundreds of people, was set up in September after the eviction of an 87-year-old pensioner from her home in Madrid, an event that sparked nationwide protests against high housing costs and the lack of protection for tenants. The Madrid camp was later copied in other cities such as Barcelona and Seville.
The central government’s delegation in the Madrid region said the evacuation was carried out overnight “without incidents or episodes of violence”, reporting that 334 people left and two were arrested. Firefighters, social services and 400 police officers took part in the operation. However, the protest organisers described it as “a violent police operation”, claiming that several people were injured by blows or tear gas. A homeless woman, Flor, testified that hundreds of riot police had entered the square in the early hours of the morning, pulling and striking protesters and not allowing them to collect their belongings.
Spain’s chronic housing crisis, where rents in Madrid often consume more than half of the average salary, has fuelled political tensions. The socialist government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presented two housing decrees, including restrictions on evictions, but failed to pass them in parliament last month. This failure led Sánchez to bring forward the general election to 29 November. The Bank of Spain estimates that the country is short of around 700,000 homes, while the lack of public housing and rising demand from tourism and immigration have added pressure on prices. The Madrid camp also caused tensions between the national left-wing government and the conservative city and regional authorities, who complained that the protesters were damaging Madrid’s image.
Source: France 24 Live News