Palma — Following the overnight eviction of the protest camp at Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Palma mayor Jaime Martínez (Partido Popular) is calling for an end to the weeks-long occupation of Plaça d'Espanya. On 3 November 2026, he called on the Delegación del Gobierno in the Balearic Islands to intervene “within the scope of their responsibilities” and thereby apply “the approach taken in Madrid” in Palma too.
As an immediate measure, the city council announced that it would instruct the Policía Local to initiate sanction proceedings against participants who breach municipal public-order rules and regulations governing the occupation of public spaces. The aim, it said, was to ensure that municipal rules are enforced. Martínez spoke on the sidelines of the World Travel Market in London and reiterated that he had conveyed his request to the head of the delegation, Pere Joan Pons .
The mayor’s call follows the Policía Nacional operation, which ended the protests at Puerta del Sol on Tuesday night. Martínez sees it as a precedent for a consistent approach by the security forces. Palma City Council had previously referred on several occasions to numerous complaints about the use of the central square and breaches of municipal ordinances.
However, according to media reports, the Delegación del Gobierno signalled caution. It is not currently planning immediate action against the camp in Plaça d'Espanya. This is attributed to the need to balance public order against the constitutionally protected right to assembly. By the afternoon, no statement confirming eviction measures had been issued.
The protesters remaining in Palma cite the lack of affordable housing and are calling on the city, island council and regional government to take action against speculative property vacancies and limit tourist lets. They also argue that threats of sanctions would not resolve the social conflict but would make it worse. The city has yet to provide specific details of the number, scale or legal basis of the administrative offence proceedings it has announced.
What happens next depends largely on the decision of the Delegación del Gobierno. Should it order an eviction, as it did in Madrid, the Policía Nacional would have to intervene; otherwise, municipal requirements and fines would remain in place. Both sides point to interests that need to be reconciled: maintaining public order on the one hand and the right to assembly on the other.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).