Madrid Housing Protesters Camp in Puerta del Sol to Fight Evictions

Protesters Establish Camp in Puerta del Sol After Eviction Outrage

Roughly 100 tents now fill the vast Puerta del Sol square in central Madrid, transforming the bustling transit and tourist hub into a persistent protest encampment. David Muller-Plantenberg, a 22-year-old student, spent his first night in a tent on the plaza and stated he would remain as long as necessary to pressure the government over Spain’s housing crisis.

The mobilization follows a demonstration sparked by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the apartment where she lived for 70 years. Data from the Madrid Tenants’ Union indicates that a real estate company bought the building and hiked the monthly rate by 275 percent to 2,650 euros, compelling her to leave. Protesters argue that her case exposes the systemic exploitation driving working-class residents out of their traditional neighborhoods.

“We are prepared,” Muller-Plantenberg told journalists at the site, noting that housing unions provided tents, sleeping bags, and portable batteries. “We have to make the most of the attention the housing issue has received following Maricarmen’s eviction, which has so clearly exposed the cruel reality of the housing business.”

Logistics and Community Support at the Madrid Encampment

Demonstrators in the square have organized a support infrastructure to sustain a prolonged stay. A large central stand covered by an orange canopy offers snacks including bananas, apples, doughnuts, and juice boxes. A handwritten sign posted nearby appeals for public donations of coffee, milk, sunscreen, garbage bags, and gloves.

Sanitation and order are managed internally by the participants. Two volunteers equipped with brooms and dustpans circulate through the camp to clear litter, while others hand out bottles of water. Educational and artistic activities occupy different corners of the plaza, with dozens of activists sitting on the ground for workshops on peaceful resistance while others paint banners bearing slogans.

Police presence in the square remains minimal, with officers largely observing the camp without intervening in the daily activities of commuters, tourists, and demonstrators. An officer stationed on the regional government headquarters balcony overlooking the square was seen photographing the encampment, though authorities have made no move to clear the area.

Activists Dismiss Upcoming Government Decree as Insufficient

As the sit-in continues on September 27, 2026, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s administration faces mounting pressure to address soaring housing costs driven by short-term tourist rentals like Airbnb and investment funds. The cabinet is expected to approve a legislative package dubbed the “Maricarmen decree,” which reportedly features automatic rental contract renewals and stricter limits on evictions.

However, protesters on the ground remain skeptical of the proposed reforms. Sergio, a 28-year-old NGO employee camping in the square, argued that previous government interventions failed to fix root causes. “We will have to see what the decree actually contains and how they try to sell it to us,” Sergio said, wearing black trackpants and slippers outside his tent. “We’ve seen other measures that do not solve the housing problem but instead make it look as though the government is trying to do so.”

Campaigners demand lifelong rental contracts, strict caps on rental increases, restrictions on tourist apartment rentals, and substantial state investment in public housing. Maria, a 28-year-old housing union member from the southeastern Madrid district of Moratalaz, emphasized that half-measures will not end the standoff. “We won’t be satisfied with crumbs,” she said.