Police Approve Route for Andorra Housing Protest on May 16
Authorities in Andorra la Vella have greenlit the path for a housing demonstration by Sindicat d’Habitatge on May 16, expecting a peaceful event. The union protests soaring rents and seeks urgent reforms after failed talks.
Key Points
- Protest starts at 19:00 at Km 0 roundabout, marches through key streets to Govern roundabout.
- Sindicat d’Habitatge demands rent controls, eviction bans, housing registry amid rising rents and evictions.
- Government added nearly 2,000 residential units, defends efforts despite union criticism.
- Event follows 2023 and April 5 protests; police cite no safety issues.
Police have approved the route for a housing protest scheduled for 16 May in Andorra la Vella, organised by the Sindicat d’Habitatge.
The demonstration will begin with a gathering at 19:00 at the Km 0 roundabout, followed by the march starting at 19:30. Participants will proceed along Carrer de la Unió, Avinguda Meritxell, Plaça de la Rotonda and Carrer Prat de la Creu, ending at the Govern roundabout in front of the government building.
Government spokesperson Guillem Casal confirmed the approval during a press conference after the Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday. He noted that police found no technical or safety issues with the proposed path, describing the decision as purely operational rather than political. Casal stressed that the executive expects the event to proceed peacefully and with maximum public safety, as with previous demonstrations.
The Sindicat d’Habitatge frames the action as a response to rising rents, threats and evictions, criticising current rules for failing to ensure tenants can remain in their homes. The group rejects indefinite lease extensions and calls for rent price controls, bans on evictions without housing alternatives, a public property registry, a full housing census and an end to what it terms the “trampa del fill”. These demands represent minimum requirements, the union states, following months of meetings that yielded no progress. “When dialogue becomes worthless paper, mobilisation is necessary,” the group said via social media.
Casal acknowledged public anxiety over housing but defended the government’s efforts as a top priority since the 2023 election campaign. Measures include policies for first-time homebuyers, action on vacant properties, conversion of tourist flats to residential use and expansion of the public rental park. These steps have added nearly 2,000 units to the residential market this term, he said, with lease extensions ending in 2027 to avoid freezing the rental sector entirely. Some initiatives are long-term, with results expected in coming years.
The protest follows earlier actions in 2023 and on 5 April.
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