SUDDEN demolition in Cañada Real neighbourhood sparks outrage after residents say authorities tore down occupied homes without warning, leaving two families displaced.
A family of four and a young couple residing in Madrid had their homes destroyed after municipal bulldozers tore down four houses on Monday.
Campaigners claim the move was an error made by the city council, who insist that the property was vacant.
The demolition took place in Canada Real, Europe’s largest informal settlement.
According to neighbourhood campaign group Canada se queda (Canada Stays), at least two of the buildings were inhabited, including one home where a family had not yet removied their belongings.
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The Madrid City Council insists they have followed legal procedures and the planned roadmap established in the Regional Pact for the Canada Real Galiana.
The municipality told Europa Press: ‘These substandard dwellings have been left empty due to the relocation of their occupants,’ and ‘the demolitions were carried out with the corresponding emergency contract, to prevent further occupations and due to the unsafe condition of said building.’
However, occupants and campaigners who aim to protect the neighbourhood disagree.
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They claim that heavy machinery arrived Monday morning, without warning.
Now a family and a couple are left with no alternative housing options.
A campaign source has claimed that authorities failed to present an eviction notice or demolition orders, allegedly refusing to engage with residents.
Activists have argued that the recent actions breach legal safeguards set under regional law, which is meant to protect inhabitants and offer rehousing solutions before an inhabited home can be demolished.
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There have been accusations of safety issues related to removing asbestos roofing without proper precautions.
Canada se Queda has also criticised the council for its actions in rehousing the neighbourhood occupants.
While some residents are still waiting to be given alternative accommodation, others have been relocated outside of Madrid’s centre, forcing them into isolation away from their community.
The recent incident has reignited criticism of long-standing conditions in Canada Real, where thousands have been without electricity since 2020.
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In 2025, the Council of Europe ruled that Spain had violated the European Social Charter due to the power outages, claiming that the situation had impacted the basic rights of inhabitants in relation to housing and health.
Now activists are questioning the legality of the eviction orders, challenging whether they follow the established procedures.
They believe that Julio Cesar Santos was the head of operations, despite him getting banned from holding any employment dealing with urban planning for nine years.
This comes from a 2025 sentence given to the city’s head of municipal urban planning by the Provincial Court of Madrid in 2025.
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Canada se Queda has been active within the last few months. The group led a march called “Canada Stays” on January 31 with 3,000 protestors in attendance.
On Monday, the group shared a video of the recent demolition in Sector 6.
One of their captions on Instagram states: ‘In La Canada Real they don’t kick you out of your house to speculate with it, they kick you out so that your whole neighbourhood disappears.’
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