The camp in Madrid's Puerta del Sol, with its sights set on the housing decree: "We'll read the small print before we break camp"
People working from Sol: "We're off to the office, but we'll be back this afternoon"
There are people who come from various parts of Spain to camp in this central square in Madrid
"It's very early, but we have to pack up now," Marta tells RTVE Noticias; she is a young woman who spent Sunday night camping in Puerta del Sol. It is 7.30 am and, together with her friend Carla, she is packing away her tent before heading off to work. They look up at the sky, given the forecast of rain in the capital on Monday, and decide that, if nothing goes wrong, they will return to the central Madrid square this afternoon.
They are just one example of the hundreds of people who are still camped outside the Casa de Correos building in Madrid, which houses the regional government's headquarters. The general feeling is that this protest will continue for as long as necessary. The Tenants' Union warns: "Nothing ends with Tuesday's decree."
The fact is that everyone is waiting to see what text the Spanish Government might approve tomorrow to ban evictions without alternative accommodation and other measures to facilitate access to housing. The spokesperson for the Tenants' Union, Gonzalo Álvarez, explains to RTVE Noticias that "a half-hearted decree isn't good enough for us". He stresses that they will read the small print before deciding what to do about the more than 350 tents pitched in Sol.
"This decree must be implemented exactly as we at the Tenants' Union envisaged it. The most important thing of all is open-ended tenancy agreements, which will mean that we tenants no longer have to live in fear, and that we won't have to wait five or seven years to be evicted so the property can be turned into a tourist flat," he emphasises.
Álvarez also stresses that the camp has become a means of exerting pressure and that it draws attention to Maricamén's eviction and the housing crisis in our country. "The camp has no end date. We're taking it day by day," he explains. And he calls for the public's full support so that this campaign achieves its goal: "The only way to make it impossible to clear Puerta del Sol is for as many of us as possible to be there."
People working from the tents
Two young people emerge from their tent in Sol just after 8 am. Whilst getting dressed, one of them checks his mobile phone and asks some friends what time they'll be arriving so they can keep an eye on their belongings. "It's our first night here; I've got to go to work. We'll take turns staying in the tent so it's not left unattended, and when we're free again, we'll be back here," they explain.
"If we don't stay here, nothing will happen. It's because we're here that we've been featured in the international press. We're in the New York Times, in Le Monde... For all these reasons, I firmly believe we have to stay here," he says with conviction.
In her case, the tent will be looked after by some friends who have the option to work from home and will be doing so right there in Puerta del Sol. "We're going to take turns," she says with a smile.
Her friend, who prefers not to give his name, explains that he didn't like the fact that many of the people who passed by during the night shouted "crusties" at them. "That's not how it is; people work here – otherwise, where would we get the money to pay the rent?" he explains indignantly. "People come here and, as well as working, they find time in their spare moments to devote to bringing about change and improving society," he says proudly.
An article written by Àlex Cabrera (RTVE), initially published on 28 September 2026, 12:18 (CEST)
