Thousands Protest In Madrid Demanding Tenant Protections After Elderly Woman's Eviction

Thousands of protesters moved through central Madrid on Saturday, demanding stronger tenant protections after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her lifelong home earlier in the week.

Eviction images put housing crisis back in focus

Images of Abascal being carried from her Madrid flat on a stretcher on Wednesday, after police broke down her door, have thrust Spain’s housing crisis back into the spotlight.

The case has drawn attention ahead of a general election due in 2027, with protesters framing the eviction as part of a wider struggle over housing costs and tenant security.

Protesters call for tougher safeguards

As they marched through Madrid, protesters rattled keys, blew whistles and chanted slogans calling for measures to curb rising housing costs.

They also held banners demanding steps to make evictions more difficult, linking Abascal’s case to concerns faced by tenants more broadly.

One banner read: “You could be the next Maricarmen.”

The protest followed the eviction earlier this week of Abascal from the home where she had lived throughout her life.

The marchers called for greater protection for tenants as the images of her removal continued to circulate and intensify public focus on Spain’s housing crisis.

Source: South China Morning Post