The judicial commission is scheduled to arrive starting at 9:30 a.m. this Wednesday to carry out the fourth eviction attempt of Maricarmen, an 87-year-old neighbor from the Retiro district. Since the night before, hundreds of people have slept outdoors and in tents in front of her home with the aim of supporting her and trying to stop the eviction.
Sources from the Tenants' Union, which has called on citizens to try to halt the eviction, have explained to Europa Press that during the actions of the riot police, there have been moments of tension and pushing, when the agents began to evict those gathered and clear the access to the building. Eyewitnesses report more than a dozen police vans deployed in the area and describe a "tense calm" as the protesters await the arrival of the judicial commission.
The Tenants' Union has directly pointed to the Government Delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín, as responsible for the operation. A spokesperson for the organization has stated in remarks to "TVE," collected by Europa Press, that Maricarmen is "very emotional and very grateful" for the support received. "Let us remember that this is the fourth eviction attempt and what this means for a person of her age," she emphasized.
The union has also communicated that an anonymous donor has offered to cover Maricarmen's rent, so that she can continue living in the house where she has resided for more than seven decades.