Spanish Housing Protests
Eviction of an 87-year-old woman sparks massive housing protests across 40 Spanish cities
Anonymous
The eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the Madrid home where she had lived for decades galvanized thousands of demonstrators, with solidarity protests reported in at least 40 Spanish cities. In Madrid, protesters marched toward Congress and later set up an overnight camp in Puerta del Sol, invoking the legacy of the 15M movement. They called for stronger protections against evictions, more affordable housing, and measures to curb rent increases and property speculation. Abascal, who was treated in hospital after the eviction, said she hoped her experience would help prevent others from facing the same ordeal.
Key Points
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Abascal’s eviction followed an eight-year dispute and was reportedly the fourth attempt to remove her. She had lived in the apartment since 1956, and Reuters reported that she was given only 30 minutes to gather her belongings before social workers carried her out on a stretcher.
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Protest organizers wanted to keep the Puerta del Sol camp going at least until Tuesday, when Spain’s Council of Ministers was due to discuss the proposed “Decreto Maricarmen.” Their specific housing demands included indefinite rental contracts, automatic lease renewals, a freeze on current rents, and limits on seasonal and room rentals.
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At the Congress march, protester Juan Aguilar argued that public authorities should invest in housing and that “No one should be making a business out of this.”
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