Madrid housing march Turnout and strike demands

Oct 3

Lourdes Maldonado introduces nationwide housing protests a day after the housing decrees' defeat and one week after the Sol camp began. Irene Jiménez Toledo reports Madrid marchers leaving four starting points and converging at Cibeles. Attendance is 70,000 according to the Government Delegation and half a million according to organizers; these estimates remain separate. Participants describe unaffordable housing and fear of returning to their parents' homes. Tenants' Union spokeswoman Valeria Racu says the union is beginning to organize a general strike with labour unions. The demands include indefinite leases, lower rents and an end to evictions. A strike is an organizing objective, with no completed strike or date announced in this account.

RTVE reports a coordinated day of housing demonstrations across Spain on October 3, one day after two housing decrees were defeated in Congress. Four Madrid columns converge at Cibeles: the Government Delegation estimates 70,000 participants, while organizers estimate half a million. Participants demand lower rents, indefinite leases and an end to evictions. Valeria Racu says the Tenants' Union is beginning to organize a general strike with labour unions; no strike is reported completed. The regional account shows protests in Santiago, Cádiz, Pamplona, Zaragoza and Palma. It reports a Valencia incursion at the Palau de les Arts real-estate summit, clashes with police, at least five arrests and nine injured officers. Barcelona's march is suspended because of red storm warnings. The turnout estimates and incident figures remain attributed to their respective source accounts.