The Tenants' Union of Seville has announced an "urgent" gathering for the afternoon of this Wednesday in response to the eviction of Maricarmen, an 87-year-old neighbor who had been living in her home in Madrid for seven decades.
Through a statement disseminated on their social media and consulted by Europa Press, the collective has called on the public to a protest in support of Maricarmen and in defense of the right to housing at the Setas de la Encarnación, starting at 7:00 PM.
"In the face of Maricarmen's eviction, against the attacks on the right to housing, against real estate speculation and landlords, against the complicity of governments. We will see each other this afternoon! If they want us out of our homes, they will have us in front of them," the union emphasized in its call.
In parallel, this same Wednesday the judicial commission has executed the eviction of Maricarmen, a neighbor of the Retiro district who had been living for 70 years at number 46 on Alcalde Sainz de Baranda street in Madrid, where hundreds of people have gathered in recent hours to show their support.
Samur medical personnel have evacuated the woman on a stretcher, while attendees chanted slogans such as "you are not alone" and "murderers." Afterwards, she was placed in an ambulance and taken to Gregorio Marañón Hospital.
At the same time, the Police have deployed a security perimeter around the building, with dozens of agents, nearly a dozen vehicles, and the presence of Samur Social personnel. A police line has blocked access to the area.
Initially, the agents also did not allow media access inside the cordon. Sources from the Ministry of the Interior have indicated that, due to the large influx of people, security was prioritized, including that of the press, and that the superior police chief ultimately ordered the operation leader to allow journalists to work within the perimeter.
On the other hand, the Government Delegation has distanced itself from responsibility for the operation and has emphasized that the police action was carried out by mandate of the judicial commission. It has also stated that it did not give "any instruction" to limit media coverage and has expressed its rejection of the eviction.
MOMENTS OF TENSION AND SHOVES
The judicial commission accessed the building around 9:30 a.m. In the following hours, scenes of tension and pushing were recorded, which gave way to a situation of "tense calm" with sporadic clashes that led to some police charges.
Subsequently, the agents evicted the people who remained seated peacefully in front of the entrance. Once the entrance was cleared, the door of the building was forced with a battering ram to gain access to the interior, where activists from the Tenants' Union who had accompanied Maricarmen during the night were still present.
In the moments prior to the eviction, Samur personnel went up to the apartment. Inside were only the woman's relatives and four members of the Tenants' Union.
The organization had reported on social media that the property rejected a rental proposal that would have made it possible for Maricarmen to continue in the house. As explained, an anonymous donor had offered to cover the rent of the octogenarian. "They want to evict a 87-year-old woman despite there being a solution on the table," the union had pointed out before the eviction was carried out.
In statements to the media, the Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda, Isabel Rodríguez, recalled this Wednesday that the Government has brought to Parliament, on three occasions over the past year, an initiative to ban evictions, but the moratorium was rejected by the majority of the Chamber.
Rodríguez added that there is currently another proposal in processing and urged parliamentary groups to approve it "as soon as possible" with the aim of "permanently halting evictions."
The Tenants' Union has criticized, however, the Government and the minister for not having prevented the eviction and for using Maricarmen's case to solely blame the Executive of Isabel Díaz Ayuso.