In Madrid ended on Saturday evening with a large demonstration against evictions and the setting up of a protest camp at Puerta del Sol The rally had been called by the Sindicato de Inquilinas The march went from the central square to the Congreso de los Diputados and remained peaceful, according to the authorities. The Delegación del Gobierno put the number of participants at around 25,000; the organisers said 300,000.
The mobilisation was prompted by the case of Madrid tenant Maricarmen, which had attracted widespread attention in recent days. Activists see it as a symbol of rising rents and social vulnerability in a strained housing market. The slogan “Ni una Maricarmen más” featured prominently on banners throughout the march.
At the closing rally, the Sindicato de Inquilinas called on the central government to consider an “ Consejo de Ministros “ in thedecreto Maricarmennext Tuesday as a first step against evictions. According to the organisers, the proposal includes structural measures such as extended protection periods for particularly vulnerable households, broader mediation before evictions, and easier renewal of rental contracts. These are political demands; no government draft has yet been put forward.
Immediately after the march ended, numerous participants began putting up tents at Puerta del Sol. Representatives of the tenants’ union announced that they would initially maintain the protest camp to increase pressure on the government and authorities. The action draws on the memory of the 15-M in its form and location, though there is no formal connection.
The city council and the Empresa Municipal de la Vivienda y Suelo indicated they were willing to talk. Mediation services also pointed to existing procedures for preventing evictions. It initially remained unclear whether and when the government would actually put the demanded “decreto Maricarmen” on the agenda. What is clear, however, is that the rental market has been politically contested for months: regional rent controls, incentives for affordable new housing and support for particularly hard-pressed households are competing with calls for more far-reaching market interventions.
In practice, then, two strands must be distinguished: the rally and the new protest camp are current events in Madrid; the housing shortage and previous eviction cases provide the background. Official figures for the number of participants remain far apart. No police intervention against the camp had been reported by nightfall.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).