Mallorca housing protesters return amid police patrols

A day after their camp is cleared, housing protesters return to Plaza de España in Palma, Mallorca, on Thursday and plan to stay overnight despite several police patrols. Palma City Council removed the camp on Wednesday. The group, Acampada por la Vivienda, calls the move illegal.

Heavy rain forces the protesters to move their meeting under the arcades of the Mercado de l’Olivar. They later return to the square, read a statement and hold a shared dinner there.

The group says the clearance was an attempt to shut down its protest, not a measure to maintain public order. It also says the Spanish Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands issued no order to clear the camp. The protesters accuse the authorities of taking personal belongings, tents and money from their protest fund. Their legal team says it is preparing a criminal complaint against city officials and the local police officers involved.

Spokesman Guillem Antelmo says the group has yet to decide whether to rebuild the camp. It has called another meeting in Plaza de España for 8 November, ahead of a general strike on 11 November. Among its demands is an immediate 50% cut in rents.

Topics: Protests · Housing · Palma

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com