Palma’s mayor Jaime Martínez the Delegación del Gobierno en Baleares to clear the housing protest camp in Plaza de España in Palma de Mallorca immediately. He pointed to the actions of the Policía Nacional in Madrid, which dismantled the tent camp at the Puerta del Sol early on Tuesday morning. The Balearic Islands are “no different from Madrid”, Martínez said in support of his call.
The Acampada por la Vivienda in Palma has been a continuous protest against housing shortages and rising rents since late September. In early October, the Delegación del Gobierno en Baleares had said, in its own assessment, that eviction was not warranted for the time being, as the gathering should be considered temporary and was not having a sustained impact on public services or public order. The town hall, by contrast, had repeatedly said there were complaints about disruption to traffic flow and use of the square.
The latest call follows the intervention in the capital: authorities in Madrid justified the dismantling at Puerta del Sol as a “last resort”, saying the gathering had lost its original political character. In Palma, activists from Acampada por la Vivienda urged people to continue the protest, stressing that political pressure must be maintained given the state of the housing market.
The positions are clearly defined: Martínez is calling for state intervention to ensure safety and order in the city centre, as he sees it. Supporters of the tent camp insist on the right to demonstrate and point to the largely peaceful proceedings. The initiative Blocus Mallorca has also recently mobilised people for rallies; police reported isolated incidents and offences against public order.
It remains to be seen whether the Delegación del Gobierno en Baleares will change course. The authority says it is coordinating closely with the Policía Nacional and local security forces. No decision on an eviction in Palma had been made by press time. However, it is clear that a tough response would place the local protest movement in a wider national context, while taking no action could increase pressure from residents and businesses.
The information presented here is based on statements from the authorities and reports by local and national media from 1 to 3 November 2026. Direct quotations and dates have been reproduced in line with reports that are consistent with one another.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).