Ayuso asks the justice system that the police evict the Puerta del Sol encampment now

MadridThe courts enter the equation in the mobilizations for the right to housing. The President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, announced during the Assembly's control session that she has taken the encampment at Puerta del Sol to the courts to have it evicted immediately. Thus, she presented an appeal this very morning, with very urgent precautionary measures, so that the Spanish government evicts the protest now, after the Madrid delegation denied her requests. From Ayuso's government, they denounce the "inaction" of Pedro Sánchez's executive in the face of an encampment that "should never have been allowed." In the opinion of the President of the Community of Madrid, the protest is "exceeding the constitutional and legal limits that define the fundamental right of assembly".

In her speech at the Madrid Assembly, Ayuso resorted to her most brazen style. "If you don't mind, your 'saltimbanqui' lordships with Macintoshes, please, clear at least enough space for ambulances. I'm not even talking about baby strollers and the ordinary life of the shopkeepers, whom you are ruining".

From the Moncloa, they have so far claimed that evicting or not the encampment falls under municipal powers. An interpretation that in no way is shared by either Ayuso or the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who has also requested that the police be sent. From the Community, they specify that the obligations for prevention and surveillance to guarantee the protection of people, property, and institutions fall to the Spanish government delegation in Madrid "without margin for appreciation or discretion". Furthermore, they claim that there are acts of vandalism occurring against the historical and artistic heritage of the Puerta del Sol. Facts that the encampment completely denies.

This Thursday, after five nights of protest, the demonstrators continue to sleep in this central square in Madrid. The protest, moreover, is organized and the logistics function like a mini-city in Puerta del Sol, as the tents have been distributed in such a way that there is space to circulate between them and a supply point in the middle. Additionally, activities continue to be held and throughout the day other people approach to express their support for the protest, as well as curious onlookers who want to see what is happening.

Camping also at Plaça de Catalunya

The encampment in Plaça de Catalunya also is still ongoing today and the Generalitat government also rules out an eviction. "What we must do is be respectful of this mobilization," said the Minister of Interior, Núria Parlon, on RAC1. In her view, "it would not be socially understood" for the Mossos d'Esquadra or the Guàrdia Urbana to take action now.