More than 200 people protest against the eviction from the old Palma prison and demand a real alternative

PalmMore than 200 people gathered this Friday in front the old prison of Palma for protesting against the eviction of residents and for demanding a real housing solution.

The protest has been called by some forty groups and organizations that have criticized the Palma City Council's intention to carry out the eviction of a municipally owned building —where The Council of Mallorca plans to build a roundabout— without offering residents a concrete alternative in which to live.

"The City Council is condemning more than 200 people to live on the streets," they denounced in the manifesto, in which they warn that the difficulty in accessing housing affects the entire working class and not just the people who occupy the old prison.

One of the protesters called the measure "outrageous." "The institutions have neither heart, nor soul, nor even a shred of empathy," lamented Andrés. Another resident present denounced it as an "injustice" and a decision that ignores the reality of homeless people.

During the demonstration, attendees chanted slogans such as "Less bombs, more housing" and "It doesn't make sense: people without homes and homes without people," showing their support for the nearly 200 people living in the prison. According to the organizing groups, municipal social services are overwhelmed and there is no long-term, "realizable" alternative for those affected. "Where will the evicted people go? The answer is obvious: the City Council is leaving them out in the open," they warned, recalling similar situations, such as in Can Rova, Ibiza.

Furthermore, they criticized previous municipal and regional governments for failing to reverse the housing situation, warning that "the left cannot now present itself as the solution." The protest thus reflects the growing frustration of citizens with the lack of effective policies guaranteeing the right to decent housing in the Canary Islands.