Political tensions have risen in Valencia after the Sindicat d’Estudiants de Valencia accused Juanma Badenas, a Vox councillor and member of the city government, of illegally entering its headquarters last Friday. The organization says Badenas and two companions forced entry by breaking the lock, searched rooms and desks, then recorded videos inside the premises. The union says security cameras captured the incident. It has prompted calls for Badenas’s immediate resignation and legal action against him.
The student union, which has occupied the municipal space on Avenida de Cataluña for three years under a public concession, described the event as a serious violation of democratic rights and a politically motivated attack. Mario Tercero, the union’s coordinator, said the act crossed “all red lines” and accused the city government of trying to justify the entry as an inspection. At a separate Valencia City Council plenary session on housing, Tercero represented the union during debate on housing access and the processing of 18 urban development plans intended to generate land for homes. He said that “thousands of young people, unable to access housing, have had to occupy public spaces permanently and take to the streets.”
The union’s legal adviser, Víctor Taibo, said a formal complaint had been filed in court and that further legal measures, including a lawsuit, were being prepared. He also warned that personal data and organizational documents may have been photographed or otherwise compromised during the incident.
Valencia’s mayor, María José Catalá of the Partido Popular, has so far declined to comment on the councillor’s actions. Instead, she has requested a detailed legal report to clarify the circumstances and motivations behind Badenas’s entry into the publicly owned premises. Catalá said she wanted to review the relevant background before making further statements or determining possible responsibilities. She added that, in her view, she would not have acted in the same way, but would wait for the official evaluation.
The case has drawn support for the Sindicat d’Estudiants from teachers’ groups, political parties and unions, including PSPV-PSOE, Compromís, UGT, CC OO, STEPV, CGT, Podemos and several civic organizations. The union also takes part in broader Valencian education mobilizations alongside STEPV, CCOO PV, UGT-PV and the Coordinadora d’Assemblees Docents del País Valencià. Many supporters have condemned the alleged entry as an attack on fundamental rights and called for accountability. Compromís candidate Mónica Oltra described it as a politically charged act intended to intimidate dissenting voices. Socialist spokesperson Borja Sanjuan said he planned to submit a motion at the next city council session demanding Badenas’s censure and removal, arguing that the councillor’s actions undermine civil and political rights.
Juanma Badenas, who is responsible for municipal property in the Catalá administration, has previously faced a judicial investigation over an allegedly irregular contract during his tenure at the city’s employment foundation. In 2025, he was suspended from Vox because of the ongoing investigation, temporarily leaving the Partido Popular without a majority on the council. Badenas later returned to both the party and the local government.
Municipal spaces in Valencia are allocated to civic organizations through public concession programs, with conditions governing their use and maintenance. The dispute has drawn attention to the relationship between local authorities and civic groups, as well as the limits on municipal officials’ access to publicly owned premises. Valencian unions have also called for participation in wider strike action, reflecting broader regional mobilization. The court proceedings and the city’s internal review will shape the next steps in the case.
