Full Breakdown
Rome’s Spin Time Squat Eviction Sparks Street Camp Amid Heatwave
8/9/2026, 3:08:11 AM
Core Event: Eviction and Street Encampment
On the evening of July 29, a fire broke out in a lower-floor room of the ten-storey former office block Spin Time in Rome’s Esquilino district. Police evacuated the building, magistrates placed it under judicial seizure and declared it unfit. Residents were barred from re-entering, and roughly 300–400 people began sleeping in tents on the adjacent pavement, enduring temperatures above 40 °C.
Background & Context
Spin Time was first occupied in 2013 and became a self-managed social centre with a food bank, restaurant, co-working space and cultural events. By 2026 it housed 140 families from more than 20 countries, representing 27 nationalities. The building is owned by InvestiRE SGR, which plans a luxury hotel on the site. In 2019 the pope’s almoner, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, entered a manhole to restore electricity after the owners cut power over unpaid debts.
Timeline
- July 29 – Fire triggers evacuation and judicial seizure.
- August 3 – Rome’s prefect convenes city officials; the city’s purchase offer is rejected.
- August 6 – A two-year-old girl faints at the camp.
Data & Statistics
- Residents camped: ?300–400 (Al Jazeera “about 300”; The Guardian “approximately 400”).
- Children: ?100.
- Families: 140 from >20 countries.
- Nationalities: 27.
Official Statements & Responses
Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said InvestiRE SGR gave an “irrevocable no” to the city’s purchase offer and announced that the municipality would begin placing residents in alternative accommodation from the following Monday.
InvestiRE SGR confirmed safety inspections found the building non-compliant after 13 years of occupation, preventing an interim hand-over, but expressed willingness to continue sales talks.
A spokesperson for Italy’s interior ministry said the owner had repossessed the building “in accordance with the law.”
Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, reported that Pope Leo XIV had been briefed hourly and that the Vatican was monitoring developments.
Criticism & Opposition
Paolo Trancassini, regional coordinator for the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) in Lazio, called Spin Time “an illegal occupation” and urged immediate clearance, arguing the mayor’s plan would amount to “proletarian expropriation.”
On-the-Ground Reports
Residents describe extreme hardship. Ana Bizdoaca, who has lived in Spin Time since 2013, said, “Our hearts have been torn to pieces.” Maria Cabrera, an organiser, added, “Some of us were on our feet for 40 hours.” Volunteers provide food, water, mattresses and clothing, while an open-air cinema offers children a brief respite.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The exact number of people camped outside varies between sources: Al Jazeera reports “about 300,” whereas The Guardian cites “approximately 400.” No official headcount has been released, leaving the scale of the humanitarian response uncertain.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Our hearts have been torn to pieces,” — Ana Bizdoaca
- “Some of us were on our feet for 40 hours,” — Maria Cabrera
What’s Next
The city plans to relocate residents to alternative housing starting Monday, while negotiations with InvestiRE SGR continue. No definitive timeline has been announced for a permanent resolution, and the Vatican remains monitoring the situation.
