The majority of the commissions that have sustained for more than a month the encampment for the right to housing in Puerta del Sol have decided to consider themselves concluded and leave the camp to continue their work "in the neighborhoods," according to a statement from Acampada 26S.
The document explains that the encampment begins a "move" "to the neighborhoods" with the intention of consolidating itself as a social movement of the working class and bringing its presence in Puerta del Sol to a close. From now on, its spokespeople will focus their efforts on preparing and supporting the general strike called for November 11, according to the note released this Saturday and to which Europa Press has had access.
"From Acampada 26S, we begin the so-called 'move' to the neighborhoods to transmute into a social movement and working-class movement, understood as 'Movimiento 26S', thus ending our activity in Puerta del Sol," the statement says, which stresses that the initiative will maintain its demands "whoever leaves and whoever is in the Congress of Deputies after the 29N elections."
The text emphasizes that the strike is "one of the immediate horizons" and that its preparation is conceived as "an end in itself," by allowing "to discover affinities, consolidate alliances, open spaces for action". "We will see you at the General Strike of November 11 together with all your blue tarps," the note ends.
Dismantling of the camp and assessment of the protest
The commissions admit that the material dismantling of the camp has not been carried out "as they would have wished". They point out that this is due to "different circumstances" and the limits of their capacity for intervention, despite having drawn up "a detailed and phased dismantling protocol".
"We say goodbye to this stage loaded with learnings and with the certainty that collective processes do not necessarily end when the space that hosts them changes. The encampment has been a starting point," the statement says.
The text also mentions that, within the framework of the encampment, a collective called 'Association of homeless people' has been formed, with "its own organization and political horizon".
The commissions specify that, once the activity of the "Acampada 26S" in the square is concluded, any action promoted by that group will respond exclusively to "its own organization, will and responsibility," in an "autonomous and independent" manner, without there being "a relationship of representation, coordination or organization" between both parties.
In their assessment, the commissions count among their milestones having "changed the framework of the narrative" on housing, the approval of two royal decrees in that area and having contributed to "a call for early elections." They add that they have inspired other encampments and protests in different parts of Spain and that they have "joined forces with people in a street situation." "This is only a beginning," they emphasize.
The statement recalls that the mobilization arose after the eviction of Maricarmen that "also cost her life" and that it was the Sindicato de Inquilinas who set up the first tents. From there, committees were created to cover areas such as mediation, care, communication, infrastructure, legal support or culture. Several of them were reducing their activity over time due to wear and tear and because, meanwhile, "the neighborhoods" had been strengthening and developing "a greater capacity for self-management."
Nevertheless, part of the people camping has opted to remain in the square and two of the committees present since the beginning of the camp will remain active.
Institutional reactions and criminal complaint
The Delegation of the Government in Madrid sent a letter on Monday to the interlocutors of the encampment in Puerta del Sol in which it urged them to break up the camp once "a reasonable time" had passed since its start and considering that the circumstances and demands of the protest "have changed".
Sources from the Delegation of the Government consulted by Europa Press confirmed this point and detailed that it was one of the last decisions of Francisco Martín before submitting his resignation, in line with the institution's course of action and that of the new delegate, Pilar Trinidad.
At the same time, the Comunidad de Madrid announced this Friday that it has filed a criminal complaint with the Madrid Court of First Instance against the former Government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín, for alleged offenses of administrative prevarication for not intervening to evict Puerta del Sol and for omitting the duty to prosecute crimes that "are being committed continuously in the illegal encampment" of Puerta del Sol.