Discontent over housing does not only live in Sol. Tens of thousands of people have also packed the streets of central Madrid this Saturday due to the indignation over the rejection this Friday in the Congress of Deputies of the two housing decrees that had been approved by the Government. Anger, rage and the demand for more measures to alleviate the situation experienced with rent have thus been the protagonists of a morning in which the thousands of attendees have also demanded that pressure be increased on the institutions. The way, go towards a general strike.
While the President of the Government carries out a period of reflection on a possible electoral call, after 12:00 hours four marches left from different points of the capital to end up converging in Cibeles. Between banners of 'affordable rents' or 'fair housing', all attendees have once again repeated what is one of the most popular images of these days: that of thousands of people waving their keys in the air as a sign of protest.
Not even the rain has prevented the protest from flooding a multitude of streets in the capital, from the Gran Vía, to the Paseo del Prado and passing through the Puerta de Alcalá, a demonstration that took place without incident and that has had the support of 70,000 people according to the Madrid Government Delegation, but 500,000 according to the Tenants' Union, the organization that had called the marches in the capital and in 50 other cities. Spanish this weekend. The demonstration has also had the support of many young people, but also of all types of families and people of all ages.
"Yesterday we confirmed that we have a Congress hijacked by rentism, totally separated from the reality of the streets," the spokesperson for this organization, Valeria Racu, declared to the press: "Yesterday we saw how the right is totally kneeling to speculation and vultures and is even capable of voting against what its own voters ask for and need."
Faced with this, Racu has pointed out that in the streets we do not experience "hopelessness, disappointment or sadness", but rather an "energy" that has not been seen for a long time. "That energy comes from demonstrating that eight days of popular pressure are capable of doing much more than eight years of a progressive government. What is being demonstrated is that power returns to the streets," the spokesperson also declared, who confirmed that they are still working on calling a general strike and that there has already been a first meeting with the general unions to organize it and be able to carry it out.
The protesters have also had the support of Podemos. Its general secretary, Ione Belarra, and the MEP and 'number two' of the purple party, Irene Montero, have called in the same sense "to put an end to the housing business" and to "paralyze the country" with a general strike.
"We already need it"
The strike request has thus been the great demand of the day. María José, 66 years old, was one of those attending the demonstration, where she went, a20minutos assures, to also protest "for housing, for healthcare and for children's schools." "It is undignified that people have to take to the streets to demonstrate for decent housing and that they do this to us... everything is outrageous." The path he demands, therefore, is to go to a general strike: "We already need it."
Ariadna and Irene, both 29 years old, have the same opinion, who believe that this national strike is effectively the next step that must be taken after measures to alleviate rent and housing prices have not been approved. Despite this, they are not optimistic that the future will be much more promising than the current situation. "Unfortunately, despite all the mobilization that is taking place, it doesn't look like things are going to change much," declares the first of them. "We are heading towards a general election where I think that unfortunately something much worse is going to emerge than what is happening now. What is coming is really scary," Irene adds in the same way.
For Francisca, 78 years old, the strike is the best way because it is "the only way to demonstrate the strength of the workers." "We will see what happens now and we have to wait if the elections are called, but those of us who are here are going to continue here standing up and fighting," says Colmo, 29 years old.
"Madrid will be the grave of rentism"
Between cries of protest such as 'Towards a general strike', 'The Housing Law is shit' or 'Madrid will be the tomb of rentierism', the streets of Madrid continued this Saturday to criticize the Executive for its years of government, but they have also criticized the management of the City Council and the Community of Madrid. In this sense, the automatic renewal of rents, rent caps or the limitation of purchases from so-called "vulture funds" have continued to be demanded.
In Cibeles, after the four marches have been received with applause, a small stage in the center of the square has captured all eyes. "We have made history and we have made the eviction of Maricarmen a point of no return for everything we suffered in this housing crisis. There is no turning back," declared Alicia del Río, another of the Union's spokespersons and to whom the square has not stopped applauding every word she said.
