‘Now is the moment’: housing activists at Madrid encampment pin wary hopes on Spain’s early election
Housing activists in Madrid have established a large protest encampment in Puerta del Sol to demand government action on the housing crisis. The movement gained momentum following a controversial eviction, prompting the Spanish Prime Minister to call for a snap general election.
Why it matters
The protest highlights the growing political instability in Europe driven by housing affordability and the potential for grassroots movements to force national policy shifts.
‘We’ve built a city here’: Activists sweep up after a downpour in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square. ‘We’ve built a city here’: Activists sweep up after a downpour in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square. Spain ‘Now is the moment’: housing activists at Madrid encampment pin wary hopes on Spain’s early election Campaigners set up in more than 1,200 tents in Puerto del Sol square say challenge now is to translate a groundswell of public support into concrete change
Ashifa Kassam in Madrid Wed 7 Oct 2026 13.43 BST Last modified on Wed 7 Oct 2026 13.54 BST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google At a makeshift lunch counter tucked within a maze of tents at a housing protest camp in Madrid, Sélpide San Luis pointed to the dizzying pace of change.
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