The delegate of the Spanish government: “It is a shame that 30 campers are a bigger concern than the hundreds of evictions in the Balearic Islands”

PalmaThe Spanish government delegate in the Balearic Islands, Alfonso Rodríguez, reiterated this Friday that the National Police will not evict the housing encampment in Palma's Plaza de España, despite the request from the Palma City Council for the Government Delegation to intervene and put an end to the protest.

In statements this Friday morning, Rodríguez criticized that Cort's concern is focused on the people camping and stated that he finds it "a shame" that the nearly 30 people installed in Plaza de España are of more concern than "the hundreds of evictions that take place every month in the Balearic Islands".

The Government Delegation had already communicated this Thursday that it did not plan to evict the encampment, which it considers to be of a transitory nature and protected by the right to assembly. According to sources from the institution, there is currently no evidence that the protest is causing disturbances to public order or affecting basic services. The National Police are monitoring it to ensure public safety, but do not plan to intervene as long as this situation is maintained.

Cort demands the eviction

The Palma City Council has demanded that the Spanish government's Delegation in the Balearic Islands act “immediately” to evict the housing encampment, located in Plaça d’Espanya since Monday.

Sources from Cort claim that the reason for demanding the expulsion of the campers is that “the deadline communicated by the organization to the Delegation to carry out the demonstration has already expired”. The Delegation, however, claims it has not received any “formal request from the Palma City Council” and maintains that “there are no grounds to evict the encampment, as they are not in breach of regulations”.

Sources from the Delegation explained to ARA Balears that Cort has already been informed that the encampment is, in principle, protected by the right of assembly, given that the mobilization had been previously communicated. Furthermore, regarding the City Council's argument that the deadline had already expired, the Delegation points out that the possibility of the protest extending beyond the initial demonstration had also been communicated.

In this way, the state executive considers that it cannot be interpreted that there was necessarily a specific deadline that has already expired. The Delegation maintains, in any case, a follow-up of the situation and points out that, if any incident related to public order, security, or the impact on services were to occur, the situation would be analyzed and the appropriate measures would be taken.

Cort alleges problems of cleanliness and use of public space

In the statement in which it demands the eviction, the Palma City Council asks the Government delegation to “assume its responsibilities” and adopt “immediately” the necessary measures to “restore normality”.

Cort argues that the Plaça d’Espanya is a public space through which about 50,000 people pass every day and asserts that the tents and other elements installed prevent municipal services from being able to carry out daily cleaning and maintenance tasks normally, in addition to the fact that citizens can use the space normally.

The City Council has also warned about the placing of flags and other elements on the statue of King James (Rei en Jaume). According to the City Council, to install them one would have had to climb to the base of the monument, with the consequent “danger to the physical integrity of people” and the possibility of causing damage to the statue.

“The City Council must prevent any situation that may affect safety, health, civility and coexistence in the city,” defends Cort, which urges the Delegation to act and the camped people to leave the site, remove the tents, furniture and the rest of the installed equipment and leave the square “in perfect condition”.

The City Council asserts that it “respects the right to demonstration and assembly,” but stresses that its exercise “cannot imply an appropriation of public space that violates current regulations.” Therefore, it demands that the Delegation intervene “without delay” to guarantee “the proper use of public space and respect for the rules”.

The campers defend the continuity of the protest

From the encampment, mobilization member Joan Segura has assured that the Government Delegation has not communicated any prohibition to continue in the square, since the call, as he explained, was communicated “legally” and remained “justified”.

Segura has stated that the Administration already knows that the protest could turn into a “continued” and “permanent” mobilization, although he remarked that the participants do not habitually spend the night there, but rather take turns to rest.

The spokesperson for the encampment has defended that the protest complies with noise regulations and that the space is kept “clean” and “organized”. He has also denounced alleged “provocations” by “fascist elements” and has stated that, according to the participants, even plainclothes officers have allegedly “poked around inside the tents”.

Segura has maintained that these actions seek to generate “tension and alarm” among the members of the protest.

An encampment that demands measures on housing

The encampment began on Monday after the housing rally held at Plaça de Cort under the slogan 'Not one more Maricarmen'. Since then, the tents set up in Plaça d'Espanya have become a meeting point and center for organizing new mobilizations.

Participants are demanding, among other measures, more protection against evictions, the regulation of temporary and room rentals, stable contracts, a reduction in rental prices, and the declaration of the Balearic Islands as a stressed residential market area.

The Government Delegation and Cort thus maintain opposing positions regarding the continuity of the protest. While the City Council considers that the occupation of the square has already exceeded the communicated deadline and demands the restoration of the ordinary use of the space, the Delegation considers that, as long as the encampment maintains a transitory character and does not cause disturbances to public order or affect services, it is protected by the right of assembly.

Palma City Council has demanded that the Spanish Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands act "immediately" to evict the housing encampment, which has been located in Plaça d'Espanya since Monday. Sources from Cort assert that the reason for demanding the expulsion of the camped people is none other than the fact that "the deadline communicated by the organization to the Delegation to carry out the rally has already expired".

However, the Spanish Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands has assured ARA Balears that, first of all, they have not received any "formal request from the Palma City Council" and that "there are no grounds to evict the encampment, as they are not violating regulations". Despite not having received any request, sources from the Delegation explained to this newspaper that it has been conveyed to Cort that the encampment is, in principle, protected by the right of assembly, given that the mobilization was previously communicated.

Faced with the complaint from Cort claiming that the deadline has already passed, sources from the Delegation emphasize that "the possibility that the encampment would extend beyond the initial rally, they explain, had also been communicated".

However, the Delegation of the Spanish government in the Balearic Islands considers that it is a transitory mobilization and points out that, at this moment, there is no evidence that it is causing public order disturbances or affecting basic services. In this sense, the sources explain that when the gathering at Cort was communicated, the possibility that the mobilization could be prolonged was also pointed out, so that, according to the Delegation, it cannot be interpreted that there was a specific deadline that has already expired.

Thus, the Delegation maintains, in any case, a follow-up of the situation and points out that, if any type of incident related to public order, security, or the affectation of services were to occur, the situation would be analyzed and the corresponding measures would be adopted.

It should be noted that in the statement where Palma City Council demanded the eviction, it also did so with a critical tone towards the Government Delegation, demanding that it "assume its responsibilities" and adopt "immediate" measures to "restore normality," since, as they argue, this square is "a public space through which 50,000 people pass every day." The Government Delegation's response confirms that everything is being developed in accordance with regulations and they have no grounds to take action.

In the complaint, the City Council has indicated that, at this moment, it is "occupied by tents that prevent municipal public services from carrying out their daily and ordinary cleaning and maintenance tasks and that citizens can use the space normally."

In the same way, they have warned that flags and other elements have been hung on the statue of King James, for which it would have been necessary to climb to the base of the monument for their placement, "with the danger to the physical integrity of the people that this entails and the damage that can be caused to the statue." "The City Council must prevent any situation that could affect safety, health, civility, and coexistence in the city, which is why the Government Delegation is urged to act and the people camped there are urged to leave the site, remove their tents, furniture, and all installed items, and leave the site in perfect condition, so that all citizens can use it normally," they argued.

The City Council has stated that it "respects the right to demonstrate and assemble," but has stressed that its exercise "cannot involve an appropriation of public space that violates current regulations." For all these reasons, the City Council has urged the Government Delegation to intervene "without delay" in order to guarantee "the appropriate use of public space and respect for the rules."

The campers defend the protest and denounce "fascist provocations"

The member of the encampment Joan Segura has assured that the Government Delegation has not communicated to them any prohibition to continue in the square, since the call, as he has explained, was communicated "legally" and remained "justified". Segura has stated that the Administration already knows that the protest can turn into a "continuous" and "permanent" mobilization, although he has remarked that the participants do not usually spend the night there, but rather they alternate to rest.

Segura has defended that the encampment complies with noise regulations and that the space is kept "clean" and "organized". He has also denounced alleged "provocations" by "fascist elements" and has stated that, according to the participants, even plainclothes agents have allegedly "poked around inside the tents". Segura has maintained that these actions seek to generate "tension and alarm" among the members of the protest.