The city of Arrecife is taking action against a housing protest camp in Parque José Ramírez Cerdá According to consistent media reports, the Policía Local de Arrecife has repeatedly checked those camping there, recorded their personal details and threatened them with eviction and fines which, depending on the offence and the addition of individual charges, could reach €4,500 per person. Other administrative notices had cited amounts of €1,500 or €3,000. The city council refers to bans on overnight camping within the city and the park’s protected heritage status.
Immediately beforehand, on Thursday 8 October 2026, more than a hundred people gathered in central Arrecife for the IV Asamblea Ciudadana por el Derecho a la Vivienda according to the organisers. The gathering was intended to coordinate support for households at risk of eviction. At the start, participants paid tribute to 87-year-old Mari Carmen, who had been evicted in September and died in a hospital in Madrid this week. Candles were lit and posters laid down under the slogan ‘Ni una Mari Carmen más’.
The assembly discussed the growing housing crisis in Lanzarote Particular concerns included sharply rising rents, a lack of affordable housing and pressure from a tourism- and property-led development model that is changing neighbourhoods and making it harder for local people to remain on the island. The organisers announced that they would support families facing eviction, continue to pursue peaceful forms of protest and consider further action, including local work stoppages. These are announcements by assembly representatives; no specific dates had initially been set.
The Dirección Insular de la Administración General del Estado in Lanzarote said, according to sources within the authorities, that it had no objection in principle to the notified assembly. However, the occupation itself and placing items in public space require approval from the relevant local authority. The decision on whether the camp can remain therefore lies with the Ayuntamiento de Arrecife.
The dispute in Lanzarote is part of a broader housing mobilisation in Spain, which has gained further momentum following the case of Mari Carmen. Citizens’ groups and tenants’ organisations report further actions in the coming days. By Friday morning, no official orders to evict the camp from the park or specific date for a police operation had been confirmed. Local media reported that parts of the protests continued on 8 and 9 October.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).