Valencia mayor rejects moving regional holiday events as 1,200 housing activists occupy main square

Standoff in Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Valencia faces an institutional confrontation between municipal authorities and the central government delegation ahead of Friday's 9 d'Octubre celebrations for the Day of the Valencian Community. The dispute centres on the occupation of Plaza del Ayuntamiento, where housing rights demonstrators established an encampment on Saturday, 3 October 2026. Activist Cristian Kirilov reported on Wednesday that the site holds 500 tents and more than 1,200 participants who refuse to leave until their housing demands receive concrete responses. The central square serves as the traditional venue for lowering the Real Senyera from the city hall balcony, beginning the official civic procession, and hosting the pyrotechnic display known as the mascletà.

Until our demands are met, we are not going to move from here.

Mayor rejects event relocations

Valencia Mayor María José Catalá insisted on Wednesday that the official holiday schedule remains fully in place and that the municipality will not transfer any ceremonies to alternative venues. On Tuesday, the city council sent a formal notice warning of potential legal action to the Government Delegation to demand safety measures for the protocol acts, which are classified as an Intangible Asset of Cultural Interest. Catalá revealed that Bernabé informed her by telephone on Tuesday of the decision not to evict the site, though the mayor stated she awaits a formal written explanation. Catalá specifically noted that the mascletà must take place in the square to mark the return of the Senyera to the City Museum, especially during this year's 750th anniversary commemorations of King James I.

Central government delegation refuses eviction

Government Delegate in the Valencian Community Pilar Bernabé maintained that authorities will not clear the plaza, citing the constitutional right to peaceful assembly. Bernabé noted that while the civic procession can proceed within metres of the tents, discharging fireworks in the square remains incompatible with the presence of the camp. She placed responsibility on the city council to adjust the festive calendar, arguing that an eviction would endanger public order and social cohesion.

Forcibly lifting a camp of so many people is not viable from the point of view of safety and social coexistence.

Security arrangements and political reactions

Acampada València announced on Wednesday that discussions with the Government Delegation produced arrangements to reposition select tents, establishing a security perimeter for the Senyera procession. The protest collective urged Catalá to open direct dialogue, stating that city leadership had avoided direct contact. Meanwhile, regional government spokesperson Miguel Barrachina urged Bernabé to enforce strict security controls, pointing out that public order is the exclusive responsibility of the central government under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. In a separate meeting with Subdelegate José Rodríguez Jurado, Compromís per València spokesperson Papi Robles argued that the protest and the civic procession can coexist peacefully, while demanding police protection against far-right and neo-Nazi groups that regularly target participants during the annual march.