Madrid city hall cites kitchen knife photo to urge clearance of Sol housing camp

Municipal report and safety allegations

The Madrid City Council has submitted a formal security report to the Government Delegation demanding the clearing of the housing protest camp in Puerta del Sol. The municipal dossier includes photographs of a kitchen knife placed next to sliced bread and a tub of hummus, alongside images of paving stones and graffiti on city monuments. Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida asserted on Wednesday that protesters had gathered large knives, construction pavers, and portable stoves as safety hazards. Vice Mayor Inma Sanz stated that sharp implements and loose stones could injure pedestrians and police officers. Municipal officials also noted vandalism on the Bear and the Strawberry Tree statue and marks on the Real Casa de Correos.

The City Council has been able to establish that some members of the camp have stockpiled paving stones from nearby construction sites. And I do not believe that paving stones have an eminently peaceful character, but rather that they can be used as throwing weapons. We have been able to document that there are large knives inside the camp in Puerta del Sol.

Regional government takes legal action

Regional authorities escalated the institutional dispute on Thursday as Community of Madrid President Isabel Díaz Ayuso addressed the Assembly. Díaz Ayuso announced that her administration will file a contentious-administrative appeal against Government Delegate Francisco Martín for refusing to clear what she described as an illegal encampment. The filing requests urgent precautionary measures from the courts to order an immediate dissolution. Francisco Martín rejected municipal calls for police intervention, defending the right to peaceful assembly. Martín stated that the Government Delegation will follow statutory frameworks and dismissed a 48-hour clearance ultimatum proposed by regional authorities.

We are going to continue carrying out the appropriate actions, always in strict compliance with the regulatory framework and in particular with respect to the exercise of the right of assembly.

Organizers and opposition reject claims

Organizers and municipal opposition parties dismissed the council report, describing the claims as an attempt to divert attention from the housing crisis. The Sindicato de Inquilinas, which launched the camp on Saturday following the stretcher eviction of an 87-year-old resident named Maricarmen, stated that the photographed items were ordinary utensils used to prepare sandwiches. Spokeswoman Alicia del Río said the administration invented hoaxes to delegitimize the protest. Más Madrid spokeswoman Rita Maestre similarly argued that the mayor was turning meal preparation into a public order dispute, noting that zero violent incidents had occurred since the camp began.

It is normal for Almeida to be nervous and to have to invent hoaxes like the one about the knife and the paving stones to try to delegitimize the camp in Sol. Because the camp in Sol points directly at him and Mrs. Ayuso as the culprits of this nonsense that we live in Madrid, as the culprits of vultures governing Madrid.

Camp expansion and square access

The protest reached its fifth day on Thursday with tents spreading across Puerta del Sol. Municipal reports recorded that the encampment has expanded toward the Renfe suburban rail pavilion and several Metro station entrances. Additional tents occupy areas near the regional government headquarters and the junctions with Calle de Preciados and Calle del Carmen. Emergency services stated that the layout restricts standard vehicle access and pedestrian movement across the plaza. Far-right groups have circulated online calls to clear the camp independently, while organizers continue to secure tents using construction stones.