The far-left encampment in Sol is gone, but its expenses still need to be paid

Yesterday, after 38 days, the National Police and the Madrid Municipal Police put an end to the illegal encampment at Puerta del Sol.

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That encampment, set up by the far left on Saturday, September 26, amounted to the illegal occupation of a public space by activists who have forgotten that the streets belong to everyone —activists who believe they have the right to usurp, for weeks on end, something that the rest of the citizens have paid for with their taxes. Furthermore, the end of that encampment necessitated the removal of 36 tons of trash by the Madrid City Council’s cleaning services—services paid for by all the residents of that city.

In addition to the removal of that massive amount of trash, there is another equally significant aspect of the cleanup efforts: the repair of public property damaged by far-left campers, who vandalized the famous "Bear and the Strawberry Tree" statue—a symbol of the city—as well as the equestrian statue of Charles III.

The Left claims to be a great champion of justice, yet it seems to have forgotten one of its most fundamental principles: that those who cause damage must pay for it. If these activists have occupied a public space for weeks, it is only fair that they—and not the residents of Madrid—should foot the bill for the cleanup, especially since those residents have already suffered enough by being unable to move freely through the Puerta del Sol for those 38 days.

Furthermore, local business owners have been unable to conduct their operations normally due to the presence of this illegal encampment, which for weeks has obstructed access to their establishments—all while the former Government Delegate in Madrid, the Socialist Francisco Martín Aguirre, did absolutely nothing to prevent it. Both those in the encampment and Martín should be held liable for any appropriate compensation for the loss of earnings these business owners have suffered over the past 38 days.

In a democracy, it is intolerable for shameless individuals to dirty or damage public property, nor should they be permitted to cause financial harm to business owners who diligently pay their taxes—only to then go unpunished and face no consequences for their actions. The Madrid City Council and the regional government (Comunidad de Madrid) must demand that the members of this encampment, along with the Socialist politician who gave them free rein for weeks, pay for the damage and mess they have caused. In a democracy, no citizen should enjoy privileges over others—regardless of how much the political Left may have embraced the notion that their ideology places them above everyone else.

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Photo: Eneko Torres Peco.