Up to 600 riot police will guard Spain's Congress on Friday as lawmakers vote on two housing decrees. The deployment comes with possible protests linked to the Puerta del Sol camp.
The extraordinary plenary session starts at 11.00 hours on Friday, 2 October. Lawmakers will vote separately on two housing royal decrees approved by the Council of Ministers on 30 September.
The government kept both texts before the vote, despite requests from Junts to withdraw one. Their approval depends on the balance inside the lower house.
The reason is simple. Police expect that people from the Puerta del Sol camp could move towards Congress during the session. The protest itself has not been confirmed.
The operation is linked to the extraordinary plenary session scheduled for 2 October. The two housing royal decrees had been approved by the Council of Ministers on 30 September and published in the BOE, but still required ratification by Congress.
The planned force includes up to 600 officers. Most will come from the Unidades de Intervención Policial, known as the UIP, with support from the Comisaría General de Información.
Officers will watch the area around the Congreso de los Diputados. They will also prepare for a possible attempt to surround the building or for disturbances during parliamentary activity. The initial deployment is preventive.
Wider street closures remain possible if conditions change.
Traffic in central Madrid will feel the effect. Vehicle movement will be restricted on streets leading to Congress, and Calle Zorrilla will remain under police control. Reports on the planned operation say restrictions could start at 10.00 hours and cover the approaches to Parliament.
The Puerta del Sol encampment had continued for several days amid demands for action on rents and evictions. Reports also described housing protests beyond Madrid, increasing pressure on the government as the parliamentary vote approached.
Deputies will use a separate route. Cars and motorcycles can approach from the Paseo del Prado or Calle Marqués de Cubas through Alcalá. They will then continue towards Zorrilla, the designated entrance to the Congress car park.
The parking entrance at Plaza de las Cortes will be closed. Authorised vehicles must use the Zorrilla route. The initial exit plan sends them through Carrera de San Jerónimo, Calle del Prado and San Agustín.
Those routes may change. Police commanders can impose further restrictions.
The first decree concerns the "protección de la función social de la vivienda y la ampliación de la oferta de vivienda asequible". It still has a chance of passing through the lower house. The second text covers the automatic renewal of rental contracts.
An earlier report described a possible movement from Sol towards Congress. The new operational details show how far the response may reach. Police control will cover the building, nearby streets and the routes used by parliamentary vehicles.
The camp in Puerta del Sol has continued for several days. Protesters have called for action on rents and evictions, and reports say housing protests have spread beyond Madrid. That pressure has kept the issue in front of the government and Parliament.
For people crossing central Madrid, the immediate result will be a controlled road network around Congress. For police, the deployment keeps officers ready without treating a protest as a confirmed event.
The planned force is reported at 500 to 600 officers. It reflects a possible scenario, not proof that anyone will try to surround the chamber. Congress is preparing for the risk while parliamentary access remains open.
