Thousands protest in Madrid over Spain’s housing crisis

Thousands of people marched through Madrid on Saturday to protest Spain’s housing crisis and demand stronger protection for tenants. The demonstration was called after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the apartment where she had lived for 70 years. Protesters demanded anti-fraud measures and a ban on evictions unless alternative housing is available.

Government authorities estimated that about 25,000 people attended. The Madrid Tenants’ Union, which organised the march, put the figure above 300,000. Some activists later established a camp in Puerta del Sol, with tents remaining under police observation.

Abascal’s case has become a symbol of pressure on long-term tenants. Her family first rented the apartment in Madrid’s Retiro district in 1956. After the building changed ownership in 2018, the rent rose from €500 to €2,650.

It was later reduced to €1,650, which she still could not afford. Courts had previously blocked her eviction three times. Supporters said she was removed from the apartment on a stretcher and taken to an ambulance.

The protest took place as rental prices rise in major Spanish cities amid gentrification, tourism and population growth. The Bank of Spain estimated that the country faced a shortage of 550,000 homes last year. Protesters said the problem affected people across generations and income groups.

The supplied report did not indicate whether the government had announced new measures in response.