Thousands of Spaniards protested in Madrid against rising housing costs

Thousands of people marched through central Madrid on Saturday to demand lower housing costs and better protection for tenants, following the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from the apartment where she had lived for seven decades.

Maricarmen Abascal was removed from her home on Wednesday after police forced their way into the apartment. Images of the woman being carried away on a stretcher sparked strong reactions and brought Spain’s housing crisis back to the center of public debate ahead of the 2027 general election.

Protesters chanted and held up signs calling for limits on rent increases and stricter eviction requirements. Authorities estimated the number of demonstrators at approximately 25,000, while organizers claimed that 300,000 people had taken part.

After the march ended, protesters set up a “spontaneous” camp in Puerta del Sol, the square from which the demonstration began. The tenants’ union delivered the message: “Either the rental system collapses, or the government falls.”

According to the union, the real estate company that bought the building where Maricarmen Abascal lived increased the rent by 275%, to 2,650 euros, which led to the woman’s eviction. In hospital after suffering from exhaustion, Abascal urged Spaniards to fight to change the laws.