THREE people have been arrested after a member of an anti-squatter company used pepper spray on a journalist and a group of residents in Sevilla, according to media reports.
Footage published by ABC shows a man dressed in a black tee and trousers approaching the newspaper’s cameraman before the sound of pepper spray is heard.
The video then captures tense moments as the reporter attempts to confront the woman who, according to ABC, had allegedly hired the anti-squatter company.
Police were then called to Calle Castellar amid reports that a group of residents had also been pepper-sprayed.
All three people arrested are believed to have worked for the anti-squatter company.
The incident on Tuesday came after months of escalating tensions as the building’s landlady sought to evict longtime tenants to convert the property into a hotel.
According to ABC, the woman turned to an anti-squatter company after several families refused to leave.
A group of local residents had gathered outside the property on Calle Castellar to protest the decision, but were met with resistance after the anti-squatters allegedly targeted them with pepper spray.
The building is partially protected under Sevilla’s planning laws, ABC reported, meaning it cannot be radically altered and its key architectural features must be preserved.
It currently houses a school, artisan workshops, cultural spaces, a garage and several residential units which the landlady claims have been illegally occupied.
The incident highlights two features of Spain’s housing crisis: the rise of anti-squatter companies and growing concerns over property speculation forcing residents out of their longtime neighbourhoods.
Anti-squatter companies, known in Spanish as antiokupas or desokupas, are private firms that help property owners recover buildings occupied by squatters.
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According to multiple reports, the industry has expanded steadily over the past decade as Spain’s property market has boomed and housing pressures have intensified.
Eviction proceedings can often take months, prompting some owners to hire anti-squatter companies in an attempt to recover properties occupied by tenants or squatters who refuse to leave.
There is no official register of anti-squatter companies in Spain, meaning no authoritative national total exists.
Many are small firms that open and close quickly, operate under security or consultancy licences, or simply advertise their services online, El Pais reported last week.
Typically, anti-squatters negotiate with occupants to leave voluntarily, monitor buildings to discourage reoccupation, secure empty properties and coordinate with lawyers during eviction proceedings.
Some firms also provide licensed private security services.
However, they have no special legal powers beyond those available to private security personnel or ordinary citizens under Spanish law.
They cannot legally assault occupants, forcibly evict people except in very limited circumstances, threaten or coerce them, unlawfully detain them or exercise powers reserved for the police.
The industry has become increasingly controversial, with critics accusing some firms of using intimidation and aggressive tactics.
In several cases, employees have faced criminal investigations or prosecutions, although the companies maintain they rely on lawful negotiation rather than force.
The dispute also reflects mounting tensions over the transformation of historic city centres across Spain, where rising property values and tourism have intensified pressure on residential housing.
In cities including Sevilla, Malaga, Barcelona and Palma, campaigners say investors are increasingly buying residential buildings to convert them into hotels or short-term holiday rentals, which can generate significantly higher returns than long-term leases.
Residents’ groups argue the trend is pricing local people out of traditional neighbourhoods, reducing the supply of permanent housing and eroding long-established communities.
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