What does the clearance mean for holidaymakers in Tenerife?
For holidaymakers in the south of Tenerife, everything stays as it is. The Puerta del Sol is a square in Madrid, not in the Canary Islands.
Our research found no rule on the subject in the BOC (the Canary Islands official gazette) or the BOE (Spain’s state official gazette). No closure or deadline linked to the clearance is known either.
The research also found no official advice for travellers at the Puerta del Sol. Anyone travelling on to Madrid should ask the local authorities at short notice about the situation and access to the square.
What happened at the Puerta del Sol?
On 3 November La Provincia put a photo gallery online with the title “Eviction of the housing camp at the Puerta del Sol”.
It is not confirmed whether the clearance took place on 2 or 3 November. The sources checked do not say who ordered it, how many people were affected or whether there were arrests.
The camp began in late September after a mass demonstration called by the Sindicato de Inquilinas e Inquilinos de Madrid (tenants’ union). According to Euronews, the trigger was the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid’s Retiro district.
Euronews reported that on 28 September a deal was reached that should allow her to return to her flat. The camp stayed anyway, although she had lived there for 70 years.
How big was the camp and who wanted it cleared?
The camp grew fast, and the Mallorca Magazin counted about 150 tents on 26 and 27 September. By 30 September, according to RTVC, it had passed 1,000 people and about 500 tents.
By mid-October, Euronews reported, the camp had a kitchen, a medical post, legal advice, a library and a cleaning committee. It accepted no cash donations, only gifts in kind.
On 29 September the Comunidad de Madrid (regional government) under Isabel Díaz Ayuso gave the Delegación del Gobierno (central government’s representation) 48 hours to clear the camp. According to RTVC, Ayuso went to court on 1 October.
The Comunidad cannot clear the camp itself, because the police answer to the Delegado, Francisco Martín. According to Artículo14, the Delegación defends the right of assembly and calls for respect for the protest.
What did the court decide, and what is still open?
On 5 October the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Madrid refused the immediate clearance. According to Diario de León, it said that dissolving assemblies is only a last resort.
The court first wanted to hear the Abogacía del Estado, because a clearance could mean “physical force by the security forces”. The Abogacía had until 09:00 on 7 October, after which the case continued as an ordinary urgent procedure.
According to Diario de León, no appeal is possible against the ruling of 5 October. Euronews reports that the regional government is still weighing every legal route, including the Supreme Court.
The police union Jupol accused the Delegado of using the police politically, ESdiario reports, a source with a partisan slant. On 12 October, according to RTVC, one police officer was injured and two people were arrested in clashes between campers and right-wing counter-demonstrators.
Was there a camp in Tenerife too?
Yes. In Santa Cruz de Tenerife the Sindicato de Inquilinas en Tenerife (SIT, tenants’ union) camped on the Plaza de La Candelaria, inspired by the Madrid example. According to RTVC, the camp lasted five days and ended voluntarily on 5 October 2026.
The research gives no reliable start date, because the dates it found contradict each other. The camp in Santa Cruz also has no confirmed link to the clearance in Madrid.
Diario de Avisos reported about 60 people sleeping on the Plaza de España. The city council had given them 24 hours, and the protest then moved to that square.
According to RTVC, the SIT counted more than 200 participants and about 3,000 visitors who came for information. At the end the union said the fight was now stronger; its spokesman is David González.
RTVC also puts figures on the housing situation: 560,000 Canary Islanders live in inadequate homes, which is 25% of the population. On top of that come more than 200,000 empty properties on the islands and rent rises of more than 120% in many municipalities.
When does the camp end, and what comes next?
Since 2 October the Sindicato de Inquilinas has been pushing for a general strike, set for 11 November together with the big unions. According to Diario de León, it gives that day as the camp’s last, though the detail comes from a search snippet.
The research could not establish whether the national housing decree the campers demand has been passed. According to its headline, Diario de León reported that earlier housing decrees had failed in the Congress.
The research found no link between the Madrid clearance and Tenerife. Why La Provincia filed the gallery under the island remains open.