World · Europe · 2 hrs ago
Police clear Madrid housing protest camp, removing 334 people
Police cleared a housing protest camp in Madrid overnight on Nov.
2-3, removing 334 people and arresting two.
The camp had stood in Puerta del Sol, a central square in Spain’s capital, since Sept.
26.
It began after an 87-year-old tenant was evicted when the company that owned her apartment sharply raised the rent, and became a protest against high housing costs and weak tenant protections.
Organisers said police used force and tear gas and that several people were injured, while city authorities said the eviction took place without violence.
The operation involved 220 national police officers and 180 Madrid municipal officers, as well as firefighters and social services.
Several organising groups had announced they were leaving the square, and the government said clearing the camp was a last resort after incidents and warnings to end the protest.
Cleaning crews began removing tents and tarpaulins as police closed off access to much of the square.
Police cleared the Puerta del Sol protest camp in Madrid overnight on November 2-3, removing 334 people and arresting two.
The operation involved 220 national police officers and 180 Madrid municipal police officers, with firefighters and social services also taking part.
City authorities said the eviction took place without violence, while organisers described it as a violent operation and said several people were injured.
The camp began on September 26 after an 87-year-old pensioner was evicted from her home following a sharp rent increase.
The camp protested Spain’s housing crisis and grew into a settlement with tents, a canteen, a clinic and a meeting space.
- Who
- Spanish national and Madrid municipal police cleared the camp. They removed 334 people and arrested two.
- What
- Police dismantled the Puerta del Sol protest camp.
- When
- Overnight on November 2-3, with the operation beginning at about 2:50 a.m. on November 3.
- Where
- Puerta del Sol, in central Madrid, Spain.
- Why
- The camp protested the housing crisis. Authorities said incidents, public-order concerns and risks to people and property made clearing it a last resort.
Madrid authorities
Camp organisers
Account of the eviction
Madrid authorities
Authorities said it took place without violence or serious disorder.
Camp organisers
Organisers called it a violent police operation and said several people were injured.
The protest camp was set up in Puerta del Sol after an 87-year-old pensioner was evicted from her Madrid home.
Several organising committees announced they were withdrawing from the square.
Police began clearing the camp; 334 people were removed and two were arrested.
Police cordoned off much of the square as cleaning operations began.
- People removed
- 334
- Arrests
- 2
- Police deployed
- 220 national police officers and 180 Madrid municipal police officers
- Camp location
- Puerta del Sol, Madrid
- Camp began
- September 26
3 sources
What people are saying
The eviction of the Puerta del Sol camp took place without incident or episodes of violence
a violent police operation
last resort
It was very fast, almost fleeting; when I realised, I was already outside the square.