By Joshua Manning • Updated: 04 Jul 2022 • 20:57
WATCH: Huge anti-squatting protest defending elderly couple in Madrid's Fuenlabrada Credit: Twitter @bettysexyxx
Madrid’s Fuenlabrada witnessed a huge anti-squatting protest defending an elderly couple whose flat was occupied by squatters, with the National Police supervising the negotiation for the eviction.
The squatters had reportedly not paid their rent for two years, and the couple entrusted a housing eviction company to remove them.
Allegedly the squatters are a Syrian family who owe the elderly couple, Blanca and Miguel, €3,500.
The two adults are unemployed and the Fuenlabrada Town Council has given them food aid for their four underaged children.
Daniel Esteve, the founder of Desokupa, the housing eviction company in charge of the case, soon gained national attention throughout Spain by publishing various videos explaining the situation on social media, with many taking to Twitter to spread the word:
“Dani is ready to return the flat in C/Viena n°7, in Fuenlabrada, to its rightful owners, Miguel and Blanca. The action to evict the inquiokupa is scheduled for 7pm this evening. #ISupportDesokupaOfficial”, read one tweet posted alongside footage of Daniel Esteve planning the eviction.
https://twitter.com/Benavente5o10/status/1543858725009735683
Credit: Twitter @Benavente5o10
Another Twitter user shared a picture notifying of the time of the eviction, that showed the elderly couple, with the time and date of the eviction, with the caption: Our Grandparents fought their whole lives for us. Now it is our time to defend them. They need your support. #NobodyTouchesGrandparents
“#YoApoyoApoyoDesokupaOfficial spread the word RT it”
#YoApoyoDesokupaOficial haced que se corra la voz dadle RT pic.twitter.com/JNcJXIKUCX — Red savitar 🔴⚡🔴🇪🇸 (@enrikegperez77) July 4, 2022
#YoApoyoDesokupaOficial haced que se corra la voz dadle RT pic.twitter.com/JNcJXIKUCX
— Red savitar 🔴⚡🔴🇪🇸 (@enrikegperez77) July 4, 2022
Credit: Twitter @enrikegperez77
Another Twitter user shared footage of the people who gathered to protest the squatters and show moral support of the eviction:
“#YoApoyoDesokupaOficial Strength to you grandparents, you are not alone!!!”
#YoApoyoDesokupaOficial Fuerza abuelos no están solos!!! pic.twitter.com/hNq4ffm3y9 — Betty Vargas (ړײ) (@bettysexyxx) July 4, 2022
#YoApoyoDesokupaOficial Fuerza abuelos no están solos!!! pic.twitter.com/hNq4ffm3y9
— Betty Vargas (ړײ) (@bettysexyxx) July 4, 2022
Credit: Twitter @bettysexyxx
Due to the complex Spanish laws on squatters, many citizens face difficulty in evicting illegal tenants from their properties, with the elderly couple from Madrid being just one example of many.
The news follows similar reports of a squatting case in Gata de Gorgos covered by EuroWeeklyNews on June 28.
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Originally from the UK, Joshua is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for the Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
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