Watch: mass Madrid protests over Maricarmen eviction and housing crisis

Around 150 tents were set up in Madrid's main square on Sunday, housing families spanning multiple generations. The sit-in demonstrators pledged to remain until at least Tuesday, the day the Spanish government was scheduled to convene. Banners hung across the square, urging "Affordable housing," "Right to Housing at a fair price," and most strikingly, "Not one more Maricarmen."

Maricarmen's story epitomized the crisis. She had occupied the same Madrid flat for nearly seven decades, initially as a tenant in 1956. However, the property eventually changed hands to an investment firm, drastically raising her monthly rent from €500 to €2,650 before it was finally lowered to €1,650. Maricarmen was evicted on Wednesday, after several attempts, and was hospitalized after becoming too exhausted during the process.

This eviction has become emblematic of Spain's broader housing crisis. According to the Bank of Spain, there is an estimated shortage of around 550,000 homes last year. Furthermore, public subsidised rental housing accounts for less than 2% of the country's housing stock, a stark contrast to the EU average of 8%.

The protests on Saturday saw approximately 25,000 people, as per official reports. However, the Madrid Tenants' Union estimated a turnout of over 300,000.