One of Madrid's most recognisable squares is back to normal — or close to it — after police dismantled a sprawling protest camp in Puerta del Sol in the early hours of Tuesday 3 November.
Around 400 officers from the National and Municipal Police took part in the overnight clearance, removing 334 people and arresting two on accusations of disobeying and resisting officers. Cleaning crews spent the morning clearing tents and tarpaulins, and much of the square remained cordoned off at dawn. Traders in the area had claimed the encampment was costing local businesses dearly, with Madrid's mayor citing losses of more than €30 million over the 38-day occupation.
The camp began on 26 September, sparked by the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old who had lived in her Madrid flat for over 70 years before a sharp rent increase. She was hospitalised after the eviction and died two weeks later, and her case became a symbol of Spain's broader anger over housing costs, drawing tens of thousands to demonstrations across the country. At its height, the Sol camp ran a communal canteen, a clinic and a meeting space.
Accounts of the clearance diverge sharply. Organisers said police moved in at 2.55am without warning and used pepper spray and tear gas, with several protesters hurt and some unable to collect belongings before tents were dismantled. City council and government delegation sources insist the eviction happened without violence. The central government's delegation had initially treated the camp as protected assembly, but formally notified organisers on 26 October that the right to demonstrate wasn't unlimited, issued a second ultimatum on 29 October, and ordered the clearance after the camp's organising committees announced their dissolution. The protest movement is now shifting to the neighbourhoods, with a general strike called for 11 November.
For visitors: Puerta del Sol is Madrid's kilometre-zero, sitting between the city's main shopping streets and a short walk from Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace. The camp is gone, but if you're in the city this month, expect a heavy police presence around Sol and possible short-notice closures around the 11 November strike and any follow-up demonstrations. Metro entrances at Sol have also seen occasional closures during recent protest days, so build in extra time if you have a train to catch from Atocha or Chamartín.
