Briefing
The organisers of the Acampada por la vivienda in Palma have announced an open assembly for Sunday 8 November 2026 at 18:30 in Plaça d’Espanya . According to the groups, the gathering is intended to coordinate local actions as part of the nationwide general strike announced for 11 November 2026, calling for affordable housing and higher real wages.
In recent days, city enforcement officers had removed tents and temporary structures from Plaça d’Espanya; activists returned several times, however, read statements and spent the night there again. Palma City Council said the measures were intended to enforce local bylaws; the mayor, Jaime Martínez also noted that public order should be maintained and that Plaça d’Espanya should once again be accessible to all residents.
The Spanish government’s delegation in the Balearic Islands had previously said it would not carry out a blanket eviction unless the gathering threatened public order. This split in responsibilities between the city council and the state delegation has fuelled debate about freedom of assembly, municipal public-order law and the political management of the housing issue in Palma.
Among other demands, the protesters are calling for a lasting cap on rent increases, a ban on evictions without reasonable alternative accommodation, and concrete measures to provide social housing. Trade unions and social movements have jointly registered the general strike for 11 November 2026; as is customary for national strike calls, the Ministry of Labour has already set minimum service levels for that day.
Whether the announced coordination measures in Palma will have a noticeable nationwide impact on Wednesday depends largely on the decisions taken at Sunday’s assembly and the actions of local authorities in the coming days. The situation remains fluid while protests, city measures and state positions continue side by side.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).