Legal Experts Question Madrid's Attempt to Evict Housing Protesters
El Salto
- Lawyers at Red Jurídica argue that the proposed eviction of the housing rights encampment in Madrid's Puerta del Sol lacks a valid legal basis.
- Officials claim security concerns regarding items found at the site, but legal experts maintain that hypothetical or abstract threats do not justify limiting the constitutional right to assembly.
Legal Context
- The right to peaceful assembly is protected under both the Spanish Constitution (Article 21) and the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 11).
- European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence dictates that authorities must tolerate minor disruptions to public order caused by peaceful protests.
- Legal experts emphasize that isolated incidents, if they occur, do not automatically invalidate the rights of the broader group of protesters.
Official Stances
- Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso announced the government will seek urgent judicial measures to dissolve the encampment.
- Mayor José Luis Martínez Almeida cited the presence of paving stones and knives as justification for the eviction.
- Francisco Martín, the government delegate in Madrid, criticized the effort to clear the square and called on authorities to respect the right to peaceful demonstration.