The 87-year-old evicted pensioner who sparked Spain housing protests dies

Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman, has died. According to the Madrid Tenants' Union, she passed away on Wednesday at the Gregorio Marañón Hospital in Madrid. Her death comes after she was hospitalized with exhaustion following her eviction from her lifelong Madrid home on a stretcher on September 23.

Abascal's eviction sparked nationwide protests over Spain's chronic housing crisis, with hundreds of people camping in Madrid's Puerta del Sol square. The protests led to a political debate, culminating in early elections called by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The housing issue was a major factor in the decision to hold a snap election.

Abascal had previously withstood four eviction attempts in the past decade. From her hospital bed, she urged protesters to "Fight!" Her case became a symbol of Spain's housing market, and her eviction marked a turning point in the country's history, according to the Madrid Tenants' Union.

Brief written by urgent.news from Le Monde English, France 24, RTE News, The Olive Press, Euronews — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.