The housing protest which continues to camp out in Puerta del Sol despite the weather has yielded at least 1000 new members for Sindicato de Inquilinas e Inquilinos de Madrid. This huge surge in members has been reported to Met in Madrid by the Tenant’s Union organisers on the ground and is the clearest sign yet of the strength of feeling and success of protests that were sparked by the eviction of Maricarmen.
The previous protest outside the ‘Ayuso attic’ on Wednesday was significant but dwarfed by the mass of people who would march from Puerta del Sol to Congress last Saturday , before hundreds would loop back round to participate in the camp at the heart of Madrid’s city centre.
Reports have come out that the central government has asked police not to intervene and a now familar arguement has broken out between Madrid´s Partido Popular governments at both City and Regional level on one hand, with Pedro Sanchez’s national government on the other. The protest has sparked huge debates within the fragile government co-alition. The protest has also attracted the now seemingly inevitable video grifters antagonising protestors to gain coverage.
“It´s overwhelming the amount of people we have seen” Sabina (Sindicato de Inquilinas e Inquilinos de Madrid)
Speaking to Sabina of the Tenant’s Union, she believes the Maricarmen eviction has “shocked the whole nation. That´s a huge reason why the international audience is looking to Spain so much.” Sabina pointed out this isn´t just an isolated incident “It was Maricarmen on Wednesday but it wasn´t just her. We saw a man evicted with a small child from his house , his name was David. We´ve come to a point of no return.”
When it comes to why people should join a Tenants Union , Sabina is clear. “We´ve been able to put big companies in front of a jury. We´ve got real estate companies to pay penalties for absusive policies. But we´re in a process bigger than us. “
Although the camp will eventually go away , Sabina feels the movement isn´t going anywhere. “If you need to feel useful , you have to get up off the couch and do something. And this (Puerta del Sol) is a great place to start. “
Listen to the full interview with Sabina below.
