Madrid police arrest three far-right protesters attempting to reach Puerta del Sol housing camp

Police cordon in central Madrid

On the evening of 3 October 2026, Spain's National Police deployed riot intervention units to seal off central Madrid from Calle de Alcalá to Puerta del Sol. The security perimeter was established to prevent confrontations between far-right demonstrators and activists occupying the central plaza. Organizers initially planned to gather at Calle de Alcalá 21 near the plaza, but the Government Delegation in Madrid ordered the assembly to move further back toward the Banco de España metro station and the corner of Paseo de Recoletos. Police cordoned off surrounding streets and closed local metro access to control pedestrian movement toward the plaza.

Far-right rally and demands

Approximately 400 far-right demonstrators assembled outside the Banco de España around 19:30, according to figures released by the Government Delegation. The gathering was promoted by the group Indignados por España with backing from Núcleo Nacional and Democracia Nacional Joven. Demonstrators gathered under banners calling for social and national housing for Spanish citizens and voiced opposition to immigration. Speakers and participants chanted against the central government and referenced recent events in Ceuta, advocating for mass deportations and national sovereignty. Attendees also criticized Government Delegate Francisco Martín Aguirre, claiming the administration restricted their movement while permitting left-wing activists to maintain an unauthorized encampment in the city center.

Counter-mobilization at Puerta del Sol

Inside Puerta del Sol, housing activists and counter-protesters prepared to block any potential breach of their encampment, which had occupied the square for a week to protest the nationwide housing crisis. Mobilizations organized by the Coordinadora Juvenil Socialista de Madrid, the Sindicato de Estudiantes, and resident campers gathered at the entry points connecting Calle de Alcalá to the plaza. Organizers circulated calls on social media asking supporters to protect the tents by forming a human chain rather than entering the camping area itself. Demonstrators chanted antifascist slogans, including 'no pasarán' and 'here are the antifascists', to deter far-right groups from approaching the perimeter.

Dispersal, rubber bullets, and arrests

Following the conclusion of the far-right concentration around 21:15, tension escalated as several small groups broke away from the main perimeter and attempted to reach Puerta del Sol through secondary streets. Police Intervention Units (UIP) had initially kept the crowd kettled on Calle de Alcalá before attendees dispersed. As demonstrators tried to advance toward the square near Carrera de San Jerónimo and Plaza de Canalejas around 21:30, police fired rubber bullets to halt their approach. Officers arrested three individuals near Calle de la Montera for attempting to breach the security line. Similar far-right mobilization efforts were called in Seville by Núcleo Nacional on the same evening, where police also engaged in charges against counter-protesters.