Massive Madrid Rally Calls for Tenant Protections After Eviction of 87-Year-Old Woman

MADRID — Tens of thousands of protesters marched through Madrid on Saturday, demanding protective measures for tenants, anti-fraud regulations, and a halt to evictions without alternative housing. The demonstration followed the dramatic eviction of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal from her Madrid apartment on Wednesday.

“We are here because housing is a problem that affects all of society, all ages, and all classes,” said protester Dora Garcia, a 55-year-old nurse. “We cannot sustain this any longer. Housing is a right, and we do not have it.”

Abascal was carried out of her home on a stretcher in the upscale Retiro neighborhood and greeted by supporters as she was loaded into an ambulance. Spanish media reported that Abascal’s father originally rented the property in 1956, and she retained tenancy after his death during a period of rent caps.

Ownership changed in 2018, and Abascal was offered the chance to purchase the apartment but could not afford it, according to the Madrid Tenants’ Union, which organized the protest. Urbagestión, an investment fund, subsequently raised her rent from €500 ($570) to €2,650, later reducing it to €1,650—an amount still unaffordable on her pension, the union stated. Courts blocked three prior eviction attempts, and extensive media coverage turned Abascal into a symbol of Spain’s broader housing crisis.

“This whole housing situation is heartbreaking. Maricarmen has been, in a way, the last straw that sparked this social unrest, but we have been dealing with this issue for a long time,” said protester Simón de la Riva, a 43-year-old teacher. “It is unacceptable that vulture funds are buying up homes, that people cannot afford to live, and that an elderly woman has been evicted.”

At the march’s conclusion, protesters occupied the Puerta del Sol plaza, with some erecting tents to remain overnight or until police forcibly removed them.

Rising costs and a severe housing shortage are pricing many Spaniards out of the market despite strong economic growth. Incomes have failed to keep pace, while tourism and immigration-driven population growth have strained the limited housing supply. The Bank of Spain estimated a shortage of approximately 550,000 homes last year, with Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia accounting for a significant share.

Spain ranks near the bottom of OECD countries for public rental housing, which constitutes less than 2% of its supply, compared to the EU average of 8%. Historically, Spain built homes with public funds that were later privatized, depleting the public housing stock.

“I have not managed to defend my home, but I have fought so that others can learn to fight for what is theirs,” Abascal said in a video shared by the tenants’ union from her hospital bed following the eviction.

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