Protest and police charges in Sansomendi

Hundreds of people gathered from the morning of Friday, 23 October, in front of number 28 on Avenida de Los Huetos in the Sansomendi neighbourhood of Vitoria-Gasteiz to stop the eviction of a family of eight, six of whose members are minors. Several protesters had set up a camp at the site on Thursday night, 22 October, and the Ertzaintza, the Basque regional police, had deployed a large force around the building. Witnesses cited by El Mundo said officers charged the crowd and cleared the street, and the outlet placed the charges at about 09:30. eldiario.es reported that a large column, including students from schools in the area, joined the protest before the Ertzaintza arrived shortly before 10:00 and quickly cleared the entrance.

Arrests and injuries

The security department of the Basque government confirmed two arrests, El Mundo reported. laSexta gave a different picture of the detentions, reporting that officers had taken away one young man while a bucket of water fell from a window onto an officer. The two accounts differ on the number of people detained, and the articles contain no later count. laSexta also described protesters emptying a fire extinguisher and throwing stones, wood and bottles at officers, who responded with more baton charges. During one charge a young woman fell to the ground, crying and in pain, and others helped her up while confronting officers over the violence.

The family's search for housing

The family rents its home and is up to date on payments, according to eldiario.es, and had lived in the flat for years while court litigation delayed the eviction. The Sindicato Socialista de Vivienda, which called the mobilisation, said the family had found no rental over a year of searching. Its spokesperson, Ixone Santa María, put the problem in these terms:

“They have it very clear, and they say so themselves. They know they suffer that real estate racism.”

She added that this was one of the reasons the family had not found an alternative in a whole year and now faces an extreme situation. One of the sons told reporters the family had approached every estate agency and local association, and that social services had said they could do nothing, offering only a leaflet listing tourist apartments. El Correo reported that the family that owns the flat is also described as vulnerable.

Timeline of the morning

At 10:30, the time set for the eviction, the family was still inside the flat, waiting for the court party to arrive. El Mundo reported that about 30 people had entered the building and barricaded themselves in, while police kept a cordon around it. The articles do not say whether the eviction was carried out or when it was completed.