Mallorca housing camp stays as Palma holds off fines

Mallorca’s housing protest camp remains in Plaza de España in Palma, Mallorca: the city is holding off on possible fines while it waits to see whether the Spanish Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands orders the camp cleared. Mayor Jaime Martínez sets out that position on Wednesday, 4 November. A day earlier, Palma’s local police identified the campers and workers from the municipal company Emaya removed several of their belongings from the street.

Martínez believes the camp breaches city rules on civic behaviour and the use of public streets, though he acknowledges that this is his opinion. He says the government delegation authorised the protest without an end date, so any decision to clear it rests with that office. The delegation says the camp remains protected by the right to demonstrate and sees no grounds to clear it for now.

The mayor says the city will not move towards fines until the delegation clarifies whether that protection still applies. The organisers of Acampada per l’Habitatge said on Wednesday that they do not plan to dismantle the camp. Palma will press the delegation for a decision again at a local security meeting on Friday.

Topics: Protests · Politics · Palma

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com