Spanish National Police and Madrid Municipal Police cleared the remaining encampment in Puerta del Sol during the early hours of the morning. According to the Government Delegation, 220 national officers and 180 municipal officers entered the square at around 3 a.m., accompanied by firefighters and social services. The Delegation said 334 people were removed and two were arrested for disobedience and resistance. Police sources put the number of people identified at about 200.
City cleaning crews took down the tents and moved them to municipal storage facilities, where they will remain for collection or possible disposal. The city was also clearing other remnants of the camp as it worked to restore the square.
Accounts of the operation differed. The encampment’s social media account alleged that officers used force, including blows and pepper spray, and said several people were injured. The Government Delegation said the eviction was carried out without violence, while police said most campers left voluntarily.
The Delegation described the eviction as a last resort, arguing that the right to assembly has limits and that the camp had changed after its organizers left. It said officials had first sought dialogue and voluntary removal, but that the remaining group refused to leave. The encampment began on September 26 after a protest over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman. Organizers announced on October 31 that the movement would shift its work to neighbourhoods, while a group of people remained in Sol.
The tents were removed after the Delegation had issued notices calling for the structures to be taken down. The camp had previously brought together more than 40 groups, though its size and the number of tents were disputed throughout its month in the square.
Sources: Xataka.