Spanish Police Dismantle Madrid Housing Protest Camp

Spanish police dismantled a sprawling housing protest camp in Madrid's Puerta del Sol square in the early hours of Tuesday, November 3. The operation involved 400 national and municipal police officers, firefighters, and social services, resulting in the removal of 334 people and two arrests. The encampment had operated for 38 days since September, following the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old pensioner who became a symbol of the national housing crisis.

Pedro Sánchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, moved general elections forward to November 29 after a minority coalition failed to pass housing decrees intended to restrict vulture funds and suspend evictions for vulnerable residents. The Bank of Spain estimates a national shortfall of 700,000 homes, contributing to widespread political instability.

Accounts of the eviction differ sharply. The Madrid Government Delegation stated the operation occurred without violence, while the organizing group Acampada 26S alleged that officers used pepper spray and physical force against female protesters. Following the camp's removal, organizers and trade unions, including Comisiones Obreras and UGT, are shifting their focus toward a nationwide general strike scheduled for November 11.