Ayuso and Almeida demand the eviction of the Puerta del Sol encampment

Madrid“Impunity, illegality, and disorder cannot continue to roam at will in Puerta del Sol”. The government of the Community of Madrid, led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, is raising the tone and demanding that the Moncloa evict the encampment that was set up on Saturday in Puerta del Sol, right in front of the Royal Post Office, the headquarters of the Madrid presidency. After the protesters have spent their third night there, the Madrid executive has sent a formal request to the Spanish government's Delegation to remove them within a maximum period of 48 hours.

“In the event of not doing so, we will file the corresponding contentious-administrative appeal, with a request for precautionary measures before the corresponding judicial body,” warned the Madrid Minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Local Administration, Miguel Ángel García, in a press conference. He even threatened “criminal actions” against the Spanish government delegate, Francisco Martín. Likewise, he has publicly denounced the “acts of vandalism suffered” by the building, which is a cultural heritage site: “We have seen graffiti and garbage thrown against the facade and against the windows,” he said.

Six hours later, the Delegation of the Spanish government in Madrid has confirmed that it has received the request, but has reaffirmed its “commitment” to “continue ensuring” “public safety” at the encampment and to “maintain the protection” of the Royal Post Office. Sources from the body point out that Francisco Martín “demands” from the Madrid government “respect for the fundamental right of assembly”. In turn, from Moncloa they argue that it is a “civic” demonstration and that, in any case, the powers lie with the municipal police.

During the afternoon, there were calls to “defend” the encampment after fear spread that far-right groups would go to Puerta del Sol: “The rentiers didn't drive us out, the fascists won't drive us out,” said the poster that was circulating on WhatsApp. In fact, the leader of Desokupa, Daniel Esteve, went as far as to verbalize the threat, but he later acknowledged himself that it was a “troll”. Other messages spread on social media by social groups asked to “be many” to face it: “If things get ugly, we must protect ourselves”.

“We are not leaving, we are staying,” exclaimed Valeria Racu, spokesperson for the Tenants' Union, during the assembly called this afternoon. It is the same proclamation that was heard on Monday. At noon, she herself reacted to the pressure from Ayuso's government to evict them: “It is nice to see that the ones who are really trembling are them for once,” she said. The assembly ended at eight in the evening and the crowd of people stayed there for more than an hour without any incident. “Where are the people from Núcleo Nacional?”, they shouted in allusion to the ultra group. There were also slogans calling for surrounding Congress or calling a general strike.

Madrid City Council denounces a “flagrant breach” of the law

The Madrid City Council has also made a move. Early in the morning, the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, demanded that the encampment be lifted "immediately." "Any protest is legitimate, what is not legitimate is protesting outside the norms of coexistence and the legal system," he stated.

In the afternoon, Deputy Mayor Inmaculada Sanz sent a formal request to the Spanish Government Delegation to "adopt the measures within its reach" to dissolve the gathering: "It represents a flagrant breach of the legal system, significant difficulties for mobility, and a risk to the integrity and safety of people," argues the document, to which ARA has had access. "As this space is configured and occupied, in the event that an incident occurs inside or coming from the periphery, the lack of organization for a proper evacuation could have drastic consequences for safety and physical integrity," she adds.

In front of the microphones, Almeida accused the Spanish government delegate of "dereliction of duty" and of "not exercising the powers that correspond to him," warned that the city council is studying his "potential criminal liability," and challenged the protesters: "If they are so brave, let them go to the Moncloa, and they will see how long it takes the National Police to evict them."