Thousands of people have gathered at Puerta del Sol in Madrid in a camp organized by the Tenants' Union to protest against evictions and demand decent housing. The Madrid City Council accuses the Government Delegation of negligence for allowing camping, while President Pedro Sánchez confirms that the Executive is working around the clock to approve a housing decree in the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. The protesters, supported by artists, unions and social organizations, have organized activities such as the Fuck Rent Fest and plan to remain camped at least until Tuesday.
The camp began on Saturday night with about 10 tents and has grown into a consolidated and organized camp that has attracted thousands of people throughout the day. The protesters have organized themselves to manage food, waste and activities in the square. They have received donations of food and water from Madrid residents who have come to help, and have indicated that they already have enough, asking those who want to donate to distribute it among the people instead.
On the political level, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has confirmed that the Executive "is working against the clock" to approve the housing decree in the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Sumar's ministers and several coalition leaders have intensified their pressure on the government partner to approve an ambitious decree.
The Madrid City Council has charged this Sunday against the Government Delegation in Madrid for allowing camping in Sol and has accused it of "absolute negligence and abandonment of functions", according to sources from the Consistory, who consider the camping "illegal". In a statement, the City Council asks the Delegation to "restore normality in Puerta del Sol as soon as possible." For his part, the Government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín, has assured that "as long as there are no disturbances, it is not up to the National Police to act" and has denied that the City Council or the Community of Madrid have requested the eviction of the campers.
Valeria Racu, spokesperson for the Tenants' Union, has spoken of the cities that are joining the protests. "We are making history. September 26, 2026 has gone down in history thanks to us. I would like us to be aware of this. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Thousands of people have responded to him in Puerta del Sol by waving their keys. The square has rumbled.
"Long live the struggle of the people who have always been told that we cannot have anything. May they never again make us believe that we cannot do this," he said. Racu has acknowledged that things are very bad, but has encouraged those attending to continue fighting: "We no longer believe it. Look what we are capable of. When we organize we are stronger than any rentier or any politician."
The spokesperson recalled that they have been taking to the streets of Madrid for a week, occupying the front pages of newspapers and, now, Puerta del Sol. "They have called us from all countries to tell us what is happening here," she says.
Samantha Hudson participates in the festival and joins the day of protest for housing. The artist has taken the stage in front of the attendees who gather in Sol, in an act that demands the right to affordable housing and denounces the difficulties of tenants to be able to continue living in their neighborhoods. Hudson shouts "We are not males, but we are many." He remembers 15-M although he says he did not live it. He congratulates the organization and vindicates his generation: "Youth is left-wing and organized." The duo Las Petunias has also taken the festival stage to provide music for the day of protest. His performance joins that of other artists and cultural representatives who have passed through the same stage.
The actors Juan Diego Botto, Carlos Bardem and Sergio Peris-Mencheta participate in the festival in Puerta del Sol and join the demands for the right to housing. From the stage, Bardem calls to "take over the squares" and encourages the audience to chant with him: "Neither people without houses, nor houses without people." The actors thus show their support for the tenants' demands and the mobilization to demand affordable and accessible housing. Botto, the last to speak, asks the protesters "not to stop" and continue expanding the camp in Puerta del Sol.
The Government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín, has assured that the National Police will continue to carry out its tasks "as until now" regarding the Sol camp. "As long as there are no disturbances, it is not up to the National Police to act," he maintains.
Furthermore, sources from the Delegation deny that the City Council of the capital or the Community have demanded the eviction of Puerta del Sol.
Between 7:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., a constant trickle of people has come to the camping area to attend the improvised festival that has been organized for this afternoon, the Fuck Rent Fest, in which personalities from the world of culture such as Juan Diego Boto, Carlos Bardem and Marwan will participate. The square is packed with thousands of people trying to get closer to the stage.
The general secretary of CCOO, Unai Sordo, went to Puerta del Sol this afternoon to send a message of solidarity and support to those gathered: "People from CCOO will come to reinforce the camp, we must raise a kind of social tsunami that requires all political administrations to be very ambitious in terms of housing. The prices of rent and mortgages right now are eating into the increases in the salaries of millions of Spaniards. Working youth have enormous problems to emancipate themselves, the average age of emancipation youth is 30 years; this is nonsense..."
Sordo has indicated that CCOO "does not close itself to any scenario of struggle and mobilization to place social mobilization, and in the case of labor mobilization, in much broader and much more strategic measures to lower the price of housing, to have a large public housing stock, that provides housing solutions to people and that reduces market prices that are nonsense."
The union leader has advocated articulating positions and mobilizations between associations, tenant unions and class unions: "When the housing law was approved three years ago, we already said that it had some insufficiencies and that it was going to cause problems, among other things, because it was going to be blocked in the autonomous communities, as has happened. Today, the full potential of the housing law is not even being used, for example, to limit rents in stressed areas. Much measures are necessary. spectrum."
CCOO maintains that the Government "has to use all the levers of the law and all the levers of fiscal policy to prevent anyone from doing business in housing hoarding" and to prevent, as is happening now, investment funds from "buying entire neighborhood communities, entire buildings and then using them as tourist homes, as abusive rentals." Sordo believes that this has to end.
Dozens of people continue to arrive at Puerta del Sol. With their keys raised, people are excited to see what is happening in the square this Sunday afternoon. Among the shops and awnings you can hear shouts of "The united people will never be defeated", "We are going to call a general strike" and "Long live the struggle of the working class".
The Tenants' Union reports that those who are going to spend the night can pick up water, food, mats and tents in the orange tent. She asks those who come with donations not to bring more: "We have everything, we don't need anything else. We are overwhelmed by solidarity."
The president has taken note of the citizen indignation with the eviction, which has crystallized with demonstrations throughout Spain and a new camp in Puerta del Sol 15 years after 15-M, and has come to the conclusion that it can serve as an asset of political pressure to reconnect with the street after the late response to the Ceuta crisis and the series of corruption scandals of PSOE leaders and achieve the impossible: the support of Congress for the royal decree law that the Government planned to approve before summer and was forced to suspend sine die due to the crossed vetoes of the partners.
The camp is preparing for the next few days: "We need more awnings in case it rains." Throughout Puerta del Sol, several groups play cards, chat and share food next to their tents. Others arrive to spend the night and some install awnings in case of rain.
Every two minutes someone approaches the big tent organized by the Tenants' Union with the same questions: "Do you need anything else? Can we bring something? What do you need for food?" They have received food and water from Madrid residents who have come to the square to help. The answer, for now, is that they have enough and appreciate all the support. If someone wants to bring food, they are told, it can be gluten-free. A sign hanging in the tent sums up the situation: "There is enough. Share it among the people."
The president of Esquerra Republicana (ERC), Oriol Junqueras, has claimed this Sunday that the decree prepared by the Government to address the housing crisis must have five points: extend the limit on the price of seasonal and room rentals, suspend evictions of vulnerable people, an extraordinary two-year extension for housing rental contracts that expire after the release of the decree, more autonomy for the IBI for large homeowners and owners of housing for tourist use and homogenize the taxation of investment companies.
The housing camp has scheduled the Fuck Rent Fest in Puerta del Sol for this Sunday, at 8:00 p.m. The poster announces the participation of Carolina Iglesias, Aitor Albizua, Al Pil pil, Marina Lobo, Juan Evaristo Valls, Tigrillo, Samantha Hudson, Eddi Circa, Teo Lucadamo, Petunias, Biznaga, Juan Diego Botto, Carlos Bardem, Marwan, Lidia San José and Olga Rodríguez among others. With the motto "Come to stay", the call seeks to bring together more people in the square and give impetus to the camping.
At the Puerta del Sol camp, dozens of people write down their name, telephone number and neighborhood to join the union and ask for help with their housing problems. Lavapiés, Ciudad Lineal and Puente de Vallecas appear on the registration sheets. "Here no one is safe from speculation," says a union spokesperson. As he explains, since Maricarmen's case became media coverage, they have received hundreds of emails and calls from people asking for help.
Adrián, 41, has solar panels on his back and a sign that says: "Mobile charging point." Adrián says that he was
