Madrid mayor submits safety dossier as Puerta del Sol housing protest escalates

Dossier and security warnings

Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida announced on Wednesday that the City Council is submitting photographic evidence to Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Government Delegate Francisco Martín. The dossier details the presence of cobblestones sourced from nearby roadworks, large knives, screws, and portable gas stoves inside tents at the Puerta del Sol encampment. Almeida argued that these materials demonstrate a direct risk to public safety in the city centre. Alongside Municipal Security and Emergencies delegate Inma Sanz, the mayor asked whether central authorities can maintain that no public safety danger exists. The Sindicato Unificado de Policía simultaneously called on Martín to conduct an immediate threat assessment, urging an end to inter-administrative friction that leaves police officers caught between conflicting political directives.

They are not peaceful protesters, it is not an encampment for housing, it is transforming into something completely different.

Monument vandalism and police actions

Municipal Police initiated the installation of fences around the Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree following acts of vandalism discovered on Wednesday morning. The monument, designated as a site of cultural interest, was marked with stickers, anarchist symbols, and graffiti directed at Community of Madrid President Isabel Díaz Ayuso. The surrounding pavement and nearby walls of the Real Casa de Correos, which functions as the regional government headquarters, were tagged with the phrase "Ayuso, watch out" as well as flyers depicting Ayuso and Almeida. Almeida cited complaints from local shopkeepers regarding excessive noise, hygiene issues, and public disruption throughout the day and night. He also drew parallels to past political debates over protests on Calle de Ferraz, criticizing opposing parties for ignoring downtown business owners.

Political dispute over protest rights

The regional executive requested the immediate clearing of Puerta del Sol on Tuesday, maintaining that the gathering causes damage to the Real Casa de Correos through graffiti, waste, and public urination. Regional officials argued that the occupation interferes with institutional functions and harms regional competencies in tourism and internal commerce. Regionalist party Más Madrid countered on Wednesday by sending a formal petition to the Government Delegation, demanding that the camp remain and that protesters receive protection against physical assault threats and hostile social media calls. Más Madrid stated that neither the lack of prior notification nor the extended duration of the protest invalidates the fundamental right to peaceful assembly under Spanish law. The party emphasized that municipal and state authorities hold jurisdictional responsibility over public spaces and police tactics, rather than the regional government.

Eviction background and union demands

The encampment was established on Saturday, 26 September, following a mobilization organized by the Sindicato de Inquilinas. The initial protest was triggered by the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old resident who was forced out of her home on Wednesday, 23 September, after living there for 71 years. Although the Madrid City Council and property firm Urbagestión later concluded an agreement permitting Abascal to return to her home once she is discharged from the hospital, the union declined to dismantle the tents. The Sindicato de Inquilinas affirmed that the gathering extends beyond Abascal's individual case to demand wider structural interventions in the housing market.