The Puerta del Sol camp enters its second day under political pressure. Public figures are demanding urgent housing measures before the Cabinet meeting on 29 September.
Pedro Almodóvar arrived at Madrid's Puerta del Sol with food for the housing camp. He later returned to buy tables. The detail says a lot about the protest's second day. Demonstrators are organising the square for a longer mobilisation, not just calling for political action. Their demands now point to a decree that the Council of Ministers is due to consider on Tuesday 29 September.
Protesters have given the measure a popular name: the "decreto Maricarmen". It refers to the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, who had lived in her home for decades. Her case became one of the movement's main symbols. Political parties have stated their positions as the government prepares to answer demands that have moved from the street to the national agenda.
AFP and other reports put the Puerta del Sol camp at roughly 100–150 tents. Estimates of Saturday’s demonstration varied sharply: authorities counted about 25,000 participants, while organisers claimed 300,000.
Almodóvar told a Televisión Española reporter that the housing crisis could not be postponed again. He called for immediate action from the central government, the Comunidad de Madrid and Madrid City Council. He said Spain's constitution recognises the right to housing. He also called for limits on property speculation and the role of vulture funds. Institutions, he argued, have the power to regulate how housing is used.
The filmmaker pointed to the number of young people at the camp. He linked high housing costs to the breakdown of ordinary life. His appearance brought celebrity attention to a protest organised by the Sindicato de Inquilinos. His message was aimed at public authorities, not the entertainment industry.
Inés Hernand returned to the square after appearing there before Maricarmen's eviction. She described the camp as a response to people who left Madrid because buying a home was out of reach. She also spoke about couples who cannot rent without sharing and households that could be removed by an investment fund. Some tenants spend 60% of their salary on rent. Others fear losing their neighbourhoods.
The protesters are pressing for stronger tenant protections, additional anti-fraud measures and a ban on evictions without alternative accommodation. Reports by Euronews and other outlets also identify a rent freeze as one of the movement’s demands.
The pressure reaches beyond one public figure. Carlos Bardem returned for the second day after saying people had reached the point of saying enough was enough. He linked Maricarmen's eviction to the controversy over Ayuso's penthouse. He described both as symbols that had sharpened the housing dispute.
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón visited the square with her son to support the camp. She called Spain's housing situation unsustainable and asked for immediate solutions. She also urged people in Madrid and other cities to organise and speak out. The comedian Ignatius could not attend because of his show at the Teatro Romano de Mérida. He sent a message to those camping for what he described as dignity in the face of abuses of power.
The city government has asked the Delegado de Gobierno to restore normality to the square as soon as possible. It has called the camp illegal. The dispute puts the planned decree to a clear test. Will the political response address the demands behind the protest, or will it focus on ending the occupation?
AFP, Euronews and Spanish media reports say the proposed package is expected to include automatic extensions of rental contracts and further restrictions on evictions. Some reports also mention a rent freeze. An earlier report outlined demands for indefinite rental contracts and automatic renewal.
The organisers, the Sindicato de Inquilinas e Inquilinos de Madrid, want the camp to remain in central Madrid until the government adopts measures. The wider protest is tied to demands for limits on speculation and the influence of investment funds. Campaigners also warn about households that spend an unsustainable share of their income on rent.
The Cabinet meeting may produce a political answer. The camp has already set the test. Any response will be judged on whether it changes the conditions that pushed people out of homes and neighbourhoods, or simply clears the square.
