Tens of thousands of protesters marched through Madrid and camped in the historic Puerta del Sol plaza following the forcible eviction of an 87-year-old disabled woman, María del Carmen Abascal, from her apartment of over seven decades due to steep rent hikes.
The eviction of María del Carmen Abascal from the Retiro neighborhood sparked nationwide outrage after video footage showed the wheelchair user being carried out on a stretcher by police and supporters.
Protest Camp at Puerta del Sol and Mass Demonstrations Across Madrid
By Saturday, tens of thousands of demonstrators filled central Madrid. Government authorities estimated the crowd at 25,000 participants, while the Madrid Tenants’ Union, which organized the march, put the figure at over 300,000. Protesters rattled keys, set off flares, and carried signs reading we are all Maricarmen and right to housing at a fair price.
When the march concluded, many demonstrators refused to leave. Activists pitched tents in the Puerta del Sol plaza, staging an overnight sit-in that continued into Sunday. Above the camp, protesters hung a model of a vulture to denounce corporate real estate buyers, commonly referred to in Spain as vulture funds. Similar rallies took place in 16 other cities across the country, including Granada, Logroño, and Zaragoza.
“We’re here because housing is a problem that already affects all of society, all ages and classes,”
Dora Garcia, protester and nurse
Dora Garcia, a 55-year-old nurse and protester, added that they cannot keep maintaining the current situation and that housing is a right that they do not have.
The housing situation is unsustainable,
said Natalia Navarro, a protester who was among those camping out at the plaza. We are all out on the street because we are fed up.
Alicia del Río, a spokesperson for the Madrid Tenants’ Union, told journalists at the plaza on Sunday that The wave of indignation and anger that has been unleashed is now unstoppable,
adding that We will remain here
until the government passes new laws, including indefinite rental contracts, and stops evictions like Abascal’s. Abascal’s lawyer, Beatriz Duro, described the force used in the eviction as completely disproportionate and unnecessary
and decried the intransigence of the building’s owners.
Political Fallout and Prime Minister Sánchez’s Emergency Decree Pledge
The severe housing crunch and Abascal’s removal have intensified pressure on the Socialist-led coalition government. Speaking at a Socialist Party rally, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the evicted tenant directly while promising swift legislative action.
“I have a message for you, Maricarmen: the government is working around the clock to bring a Royal Decree on housing next Tuesday. And I ask parliamentary groups to make one last effort to have it validated in the National Parliament for Maricarmen.”
Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain
Spain’s Socialist-led government is expected to announce new measures.
Comparisons to the 15-M Indignados Movement and Structural Shortages
Analysts note that the current wave of public anger mirrors the historic 15-M Indignados movement, the years-long anti-austerity and anti-corruption protest movement that involved millions of Spaniards.
Economic pressures have compounded the crisis. According to estimates from the Bank of Spain, the country faced a shortage of roughly 550,000 homes last year. Rapid population growth driven by tourism and immigration has placed intense strain on urban housing markets in the cities. Rents rose 80% in a decade. Political scientist Cristina Monge described the eviction as the canary in the coalmine,
calling it a symbol, seen as the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the issue of housing.
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