Hundreds of people spent the night of 26–27 September 2026 at the Puerta del Sol in Madrid in a protest camp. The action followed a demonstration against evictions and housing policy, which had marched through the city centre on 26 September. The Delegación del Gobierno put the number of demonstrators at 25,000; organisers said the figure was considerably higher. Police sources and media reports described the first night as calm, with no significant incidents.
The immediate trigger for the mobilisation is the eviction case of an 87-year-old woman, who became known in news reports as Maricarmen . The case has sparked outrage nationwide and fuelled calls for a so-called Decreto Maricarmen . According to initiatives such as the Sindicato de Inquilinas e Inquilinos , this would entail an immediate halt to evictions for particularly vulnerable households, tighter rules against speculation and binding guarantees of affordable rents. In the morning, numerous tents and marquees stood in the square, according to consistent media reports; estimates ranged from around a hundred to several hundred, depending on the source.
Madrid City Council had warned in advance of traffic disruption in the city centre and advised people to use public transport. The Delegación del Gobierno officially confirmed the scale of the demonstration and reported no serious incidents overnight. Organisers announced solidarity actions and gatherings for the coming days. People close to the city said talks with representatives of those affected were being prepared for 28 September; no concrete commitments had initially been made.
The action recalls the 2011 square protests in its form and location, but differs in its clear focus on tenant protection and evictions. Politically, the Maricarmen case is increasing pressure on the Community of Madrid and the central government, to consider measures in the short term. Whether legal changes will follow remains open and depends on negotiations between municipal authorities, the regional government and the state. While initiatives are pressing for a combination of immediate moratoriums and structural interventions, government bodies point to the need to reconcile social protection measures with the rule of law.
Facts, attributions, projections: The demonstration on 26 September, the subsequent protest camp at Puerta del Sol on the night of 26–27 September, and the official attendance figure of 25,000 according to the Delegación del Gobierno are documented. Demands and higher estimates are attributed to organisers. Statements about possible legislative changes remain open and are not currently substantiated.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).