Spain: Thousands protest in Madrid against housing crisis
Tens of thousands rallied in the Spanish capital after an 87-year-old woman was dramatically evicted from her home this week. Protesters called for measures to curb rising costs and reduce evictions.
On Saturday, an estimated 25,000 to 300,000 individuals took to the streets of Madrid to protest the country's housing crisis. The demonstrators demanded stronger tenant protections, anti-fraud measures, and a ban on evictions without alternative housing. The protest was sparked by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her apartment in Madrid's upscale Retiro neighborhood, where she had lived for seven decades.
Abascal's eviction highlighted the growing pressure on long-term tenants in Spain's major cities, where rental prices have skyrocketed due to gentrification and a shortage of affordable housing. The Bank of Spain estimated a housing shortage of 550,000 units nationwide last year. The Madrid Tenants' Union, which organized the protest, claimed over 300,000 people participated in the rally.
Activists set up a protest camp in Madrid's Puerta del Sol square, with some even sleeping in tents overnight. Maricarmen Abascal, a symbol of the crisis, was evicted from her home after her father's death, despite previous attempts to buy the apartment and extensive media coverage of her case. The protest underscored the widespread discontent over Spain's housing situation as the country prepares for a general election next year.
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