Valencia mayor asks for talks on ending housing camp in central square

Mayor asks for a technical meeting

Valencia mayor María José Catalá has written to the Government Delegation in the Valencian Community asking for a technical meeting on security. The letter concerns the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, which has been occupied since 3 October 2026 by a housing protest camp. Catalá calls the occupation unauthorised and says the square should belong to everyone again. She argues that the fundamental right behind the protest has already been exercised, pointing to tents that have been taken down over the days before 3 November. The letter reached the Delegation hours after the Sol camp in Madrid was cleared, a camp that sources describe as the origin of protests across the country.

Delegate confirms the meeting

Roger Llanes, the Government Delegate in the Valencian Community, confirmed that he will hold the meeting. He had not yet read the letter in full, but he saw that it was brief and that its tone differed from earlier letters the mayor had sent.

“It is a very conciliatory tone, and what it asks of us, in principle, is a meeting to address the actions to be carried out jointly.”

Llanes said the meeting will be technical and will cover the various aspects raised at this point. He also said the campers had not asked him for a meeting and that their demands, including declaring Valencia a zona tensionada and capping rents, were directed at Catalá rather than at him. He said he would see how to handle the mayor's request.

The camp's position

The camp began spontaneously on 3 October 2026 and has no municipal authorisation, according to the city. Its campers have said they will stay in the square until their assembly decides otherwise. They want the mayor to meet them and commit to applying the Housing Law, which would mean declaring the city a zona tensionada and capping rents. The campers regret that, despite their offers, Catalá has not sat down to negotiate with them. Spokesperson Irene Dolz told EFE that the Madrid eviction does not influence the Valencia camp, which operates independently and takes its decisions by horizontal assemblies.

Background and the Christmas trade

Before 9 October, Catalá had already pressed for the protest to end so that the Valencian Community Day events could go ahead. The city council also sent the Delegation a warning ahead of possible legal action, asking it to guarantee security and the official acts for 9 October. The mascletà was ultimately suspended, while the camp coexisted with the Civic Procession. Catalá said that shops around the square have voiced concern about the impact on trade. The square usually hosts an ice rink and a carousel during the Christmas season, alongside a large tree that the council sets up, and a few weeks remain before the festive campaign begins.

The mayor's case for normality

Catalá says the city has been understanding and respectful toward the camp during these weeks, while insisting that anyone wishing to occupy the square must follow administrative procedures and pay the applicable fees. She cited last Saturday as proof that cooperation between administrations pays off, a reference to a social media call by the group Blocus to raid shops in the city centre.

“The collaboration of all administrations, as shown last Saturday, always bears good fruit.”

She concluded that the moment has come to work together to bring the square back to normal, and that the campers' right to protest has already been exercised.