More than 1,000 protesters have set up camp in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and refuse to leave, turning the square into a flashpoint over Spain’s housing crisis. City leaders and police unions are calling for action, warning that security risks are growing.
The Sindicato Unificado de Policías (SUP) has urged the Madrid government delegation to intervene. The union says dangerous items, including large knives and paving stones, are hidden in tents. In a formal statement, it called for a full risk assessment and measures to protect citizens and police. AFP and Euronews report that the camp began after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal. Protesters are calling for stronger tenant rights and affordable homes. AFP reported that around 100 tents went up in Puerta del Sol after the initial demonstration. The camp has continued to grow as a symbol of the broader campaign against housing speculation.
Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida says the city will send evidence to the government delegation. He says the protesters have camp stoves. He also claims they have paving stones and large knives. The city plans to fence off the Oso y el Madroño statue, which was graffitied with the message 'Ayuso, cuidado.' The text is a direct threat to regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Almeida said: “I do not consider it a peaceful protest when a Bien de Interés Cultural like the Oso y el Madroño is vandalized.” He also questioned why the government has not acted.
Regional leaders are increasing the pressure. Miguel Ángel García Martín, who oversees the Community of Madrid’s portfolios for Presidency and Justice, as well as Local Administration, gave government delegate Francisco Martín a 24-hour deadline to clear the square or face legal action. García Martín says the protest is illegal and puts public safety at risk, citing workers and the historic Real Casa de Correos building. “We will take measures against anyone who breaks the rules or vandalizes protected spaces in Puerta del Sol,” he warned. ABC and other Spanish outlets report that officials are linking the protest to wider security concerns in the city center, particularly around the Real Casa de Correos.
Protesters see the camp as a last stand. They say Spain’s housing situation is impossible and refuse to leave. Pressure is mounting, but they are holding their ground. The standoff has disrupted one of Madrid’s busiest transit points, affecting people who rely on Puerta del Sol to get around.
The central government’s Delegation in Madrid has confirmed it received demands to dismantle the camp. It says it will continue to ensure public safety and protect the regional government building. The dispute has widened into a political conflict: PSOE defends the right to protest, while PP insists there is no right to set up camp in the square.
Both the city and regional governments, run by the Partido Popular, want the camp cleared immediately. Francisco Martín, the central government’s delegate from the PSOE, has not ordered a forceful removal. The SUP’s warning has raised the stakes. Police unions rarely issue such blunt alerts about protest risks.
Madrid has faced other fierce disputes over protest rights and public order. A recent report on political divisions in Toledo shows the pattern. This standoff differs in scale, with an iconic location drawing top city and regional leaders directly into the dispute.
The dispute puts protest rights and public safety at stake, amid political rivalry. What happens next will shape the tone of future protests in Spain’s most famous square.
