Málaga's Local Police have opened reports against the spokesperson for Con Málaga, Nicolás Sguiglia, and former councillors Ysabel Torralbo and Rosa Galindo for the housing protest last Monday. The three attribute the sanctions to a political response from the mayor.
The Local Police of Málaga have opened reports against the spokesperson for Con Málaga, Nicolás Sguiglia, and the former councillors of Málaga Ahora (2015-19) Ysabel Torralbo and Rosa Galindo for the demonstration in defence of housing last Monday, according to Diario Sur. The proceedings attribute direct responsibility for two infractions of the Organic Law 4/2015 on the Protection of Citizen Security.
The first accusation is based on article 37.1 of the law, for failing to comply with the conditions set by the Government Subdelegation by invading the roadway and promoting the settlement and camping of those gathered. This infraction carries fines ranging from 100 to 600 euros.
The second alleged infraction affects all three and refers to article 36.1, for disturbing public safety and creating a risk for traffic by transforming the static gathering into a moving demonstration through the surprise occupation of the road. The report also notes the disobedience to several explicit orders from the officers on site. Sanctions for this type of infraction range from 601 to 30,000 euros, depending on the severity.
Additionally, Sguiglia faces a third report for allegedly violating article 41 of the municipal noise ordinance, for the unauthorised use of a megaphone in public. The sanctioning scales set amounts of up to 750 euros for minor infractions, up to 1,500 euros for serious ones, and up to 3,000 euros for very serious ones.
According to the information gathered, Torralbo was the signatory of the formal communication of the gathering to the Government Subdelegation, while Sguiglia and Galindo took on leadership roles among the attendees. The three affected claim they had not received any notification at the time they were contacted and continue to participate in the camping that has been ongoing since Monday in the Constitution Square.
Sguiglia has criticised the mayor, Francisco de la Torre:
«He intends to respond with reports and sanctions to those who are demanding something as basic as the right to have a home. This is a profoundly mistaken response and reveals a worrying lack of democratic spirit. The protest was peaceful, civic, and legitimate, and we collaborated to avoid any incident».
The councillor has announced that he will appeal the reports: «This is an arbitrary decision and we will defend the right to peaceful demonstration and protest».
Rosa Galindo, an activist from 'A Roof for the Right', has expressed similar sentiments:
«They are not going to make us feel guilty for defending a right that belongs to everyone. We were in the street peacefully, alongside hundreds and thousands of people who are fed up with housing being treated as a business while more and more families struggle to pay rent. We collaborated to ensure there were no incidents. It is outrageous that the city's response is to open reports».
The former spokesperson for Málaga Ahora and also an activist of 'A Roof for the Right', Ysabel Torralbo, considers the opening of reports to be very “significant”:
«In the face of a peaceful mobilization of people demanding housing, the City Council responds with sanctioning reports. This is De la Torre's political response to an emergency affecting thousands of Málaga residents. We did not go to provoke any conflict; we went to demand solutions. And, when it was necessary to collaborate to avoid any incident, we did so. We will appeal».
The gathering exceeded attendance expectations and forced participants to move and seek a larger space. The three reported have announced that they will contest the sanctions and will continue the mobilizations.
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