Camped 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 unprecedented image not seen for fifteen years: the tents of protesters for the right to housing have been pitched 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 are demanding that the Council of Ministers presided over by Pedro Sánchez approve a decree-law that resolves the housing problem.

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

Del Río explained: she remarked that the rawest expression of the housing problem is evictions, but that all tenants fear receiving a registered letter (burofax) from the landlord announcing either that they are raising 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 stated.

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 regulation the "Maricarmen decree," since it was the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid on Wednesday that triggered the outrage 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 the 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 during the 15-M movement in Plaça Catalunya, or the Puerta del Sol itself, now more than a decade ago. For example, early this Sunday there was yoga, a protest in favor of public education at noon—which brought together about 10,000 people according to the government delegation—, a non-violent direct action workshop, banner making, or, later at night, a massive letter-writing session 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 concrete objective, this is not an indefinite encampment," she asserted, insisting that the housing decree-law must incorporate the automatic renewal of rental contracts. 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 trying to capitalize on, already in stoppage time for next year's new Spanish elections. Podemos has rushed to make an appearance: Irene Montero, candidate for the upcoming elections, and the party's general secretary, Ione Belarra, have called for pressure on the Spanish government so that the decree-law goes further than what Junts and the PNB accept, even though they are essential to validate it in the Congress of Deputies.

The electoral competition between left-wing parties was evident this Sunday at the very encampment in Puerta del Sol. A group of young people was arguing with an elderly couple about who was to blame for the situation. "The person 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 of the banners presiding over the encampment could be seen: "PSOE and Sumar responsible for our misery".

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 Claudia 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 works on projects for documentaries. "The salary isn't enough to move out," asserts Adela, exemplifying one of the main problems for young people today. They believe the solution only comes through "one person, one house," and that is why they will stay at Puerta del Sol as long as necessary.