Encamped at the Puerta del Sol in Madrid: "It is the PSOE's fault"

MadridThe Puerta del Sol in Madrid woke up this morning with the usual hustle and bustle of tourists, but with an image unseen for fifteen years: the tents of protesters for the right to housing have been set up since this Saturday night in the middle of the square, emulating the 15-M movement of 2011. They intend to stay at least until Tuesday, when they demand that the council of ministers presided over by Pedro Sánchez approve a decree-law that solves the housing problem.

What are they asking for? The spokesperson for the Madrid Tenants' Union, Alicia del Río, was in charge of putting words and a voice to it: "We want indefinite rental contracts," she demanded in statements to the media. "What problem does Pedro Sánchez and the PSOE have with people having a stable life?", she added, making it clear that, in the Union's opinion, this would be the primary measure of the new decree-law.

Del Río explained: she remarked that the harshest expression of the housing problem is evictions, but that all tenants fear receiving a certified letter from the landlord announcing either that they are increasing the rent or that they are not renewing the contract. "If this is not approved, it means that vulture funds continue to govern in this country," she declared.

In this way, she fired at the socialists, who have governed the State for eight years while polls stubbornly indicate that the population's main problem is housing. Mind you, Río avoided attacking the coalition's minority partner, Sumar, directly, which is pressuring the PSOE to approve a broad decree-law on Tuesday that incorporates what the Tenants' Union is asking for, as well as the "protection of families against evictions." The protesters have dubbed this potential rule the "Maricarmen decree," since it was allegedly the eviction in Madrid on Wednesday of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal that unleashed the indignation in the streets.

"The wave of indignation and rage is now unstoppable. This encampment is a success and we will continue forward because it is the minimum we can do after everything we have endured these years. We encourage people to come and keep up the pressure," said Alicia del Río, who was applauded by the dozens of young people who were listening to her around the media.

Several hundred people have spent the night sleeping at Puerta del Sol. The organization has set up a supply center in the middle of the square, with food and water, while the tents have been distributed in concentric circles around it. The idea is to carry out activities throughout the day, just as it happened for the 15-M movement at Plaça Catalunya, or the same Puerta del Sol, more than a decade ago now. For example, early this Sunday there was yoga, a protest in favor of public education at noon—which gathered some 20,000 people according to the government delegation—, a non-violent direct action workshop, banner making, or, at night, a massive letter-writing event is planned for Maricarmen Abascal, who remains at the Gregorio Marañón hospital after she was evicted from her home on Wednesday.

However, when asked if we are facing a new 15-M, the spokesperson for the Tenants' Union avoided a direct comparison. "There are similar things because this is a popular outburst, a social outcry in the face of discontent. But we have a very specific objective, this is not an indefinite encampment," she asserted, insisting on the fact that the housing decree-law must incorporate the automatic renewal of the rental contract. In this sense, she asked "not to pigeonhole" this encampment and compared it to other historical moments such as the La Canadiense strike, when the eight-hour workday was achieved for workers.

Competition within the left

The encampment at Puerta del Sol is a social movement that all left-wing parties are already trying to capitalize on in stoppage time for the new Spanish elections next year. Podemos has rushed to support it, and so has Sumar. This electoral competition was evident this Sunday in the Madrid square. A group of young people was arguing with an elderly couple about who was to blame for the situation. "The one who sent the police to carry out Maricarmen's eviction was the government delegation, it was the PSOE's fault," a young camper expressed, while the lady replied that he was very wrong: "It was the judge. The one to blame is Ayuso," she said, pointing to the presidential building of the Community of Madrid in the same square. In the background, one could see one of the banners presiding over the encampment: "PSOE and Sumar are responsible for our misery".

For Oliver, who is 25, the blame is "transversal"—although he points particularly to Junts for having struck down several measures in Congress—and he calls for collaboration between all levels of government to solve the problem. Like many other young people camping in the square, he lives with his parents, his salary is not enough to pay rent, and he sees it as impossible to become a homeowner. For Victoria, 73, who points above all to Ayuso, this cannot go on like this either: "Luckily, I own a flat, but my grandchildren will have to wait for me to die to have one".

In one of the tents, two 27-year-old girls who spent the night at Puerta del Sol are talking patiently while seated. "We feel deceived," they confess, as they are part of that generation that was promised that if they worked hard and studied they would have a better life. Both Adela and Clàudia also live with their parents, even though both have degrees and have had stable employment contracts. One studied audiovisual communication, but now works as an administrative assistant, while the other studied marketing and now does projects for documentaries. "The salary is not enough to become independent," asserts Adela, summarizing the problem of an entire generation. They believe the solution only comes through "one person, one house" and that is why they will stay at Puerta del Sol for as long as it takes.