- About 30,000 demonstrators gathered in Madrid, waving keys and banners that denounced property speculators and demanded stricter limits on evictions.
- Activists have maintained a round‑the‑clock encampment near the city’s central square, invoking historic protest movements to push for greater housing accessibility and renters’ rights.
Updated 3 min 41 sec ago
September 29, 2026 02:58
MADRID: An 87‑year‑old Madrid resident, whose forced removal from her home last week sparked a national outcry, will be allowed to return after striking a deal with her landlord, according to her attorney.
Thousands of protesters have camped outside the regional government headquarters for a third consecutive day, demanding stronger safeguards for tenants amid a deepening housing shortage and soaring rents. The central Spanish government announced it is working on emergency relief measures, though specific details remain pending.
The eviction crisis began when police removed Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid apartment—her home for more than seven decades—while she was on a stretcher, following an order secured by the investment fund that had acquired the property. The dramatic scene triggered widespread anger and a wave of demonstrations across the capital.
Abascal’s lawyer, Beatriz Duro, confirmed that the octogenarian will enter an eight‑year lease at a rent comparable to her previous one. The agreement effectively reverses the earlier eviction, a precedent she described as unprecedented in recent Spanish jurisprudence. Abascal, who was hospitalized after the eviction, intends to finalize the contract once her health improves.
Regional authorities have not responded to requests for comment. The Socialist‑led national government condemned the center‑right Madrid administration for failing to intervene, while the regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, suggested that the protest aimed to alter existing tenancy agreements and questioned whether renters should face age‑based rent obligations.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged that his cabinet would approve new housing relief measures during its upcoming Tuesday meeting. He urged parliamentary support for the proposals, emphasizing that protecting vulnerable tenants “is not a matter of ideology but of humanity.”
The current wave of evictions differs markedly from the post‑2008 financial crisis period, when most foreclosures stemmed from mortgage defaults. Today, a growing proportion of evictions arise from rental disputes, reflecting a severe supply shortfall. Rents have doubled over the past decade, outpacing wage growth.
TENS OF THOUSANDS MARCH THROUGH MADRID
On Saturday, roughly 30,000 people marched through Madrid to protest the treatment of Abascal and others displaced by investment funds. Demonstrators brandished keys and banners bearing slogans such as “Speculators go home” and “Housing is for living.”
As night fell on Puerta del Sol, the square housing the offices of President Ayuso, dozens of activists erected tents, and the encampment continued to expand. “Young Spaniards are struggling to leave their parents’ homes,” said Blanca, a university student. “Politicians not only do nothing but make it worse. We’ve decided to put our foot down—let’s hope they hear us.”
Further rallies are planned across Spain on Monday, organized by the Tenants’ Union, which has coordinated the movement. From her hospital bed, Abascal urged demonstrators to persist: “Be brave, fight, defend what is yours and, please, take care of yourselves; keep camping there for as long as your bodies can hold out and as long as you wish to. Let’s hope all this comes to a successful conclusion tomorrow.”
Spain faces a housing deficit of 750,000 units, according to the central bank, with projections indicating the shortfall could exceed one million by 2028. Annual construction hovers around 120,000 homes—roughly one‑sixth of the pre‑2008 crisis rate.
