Tens of thousands march in Madrid over 87-year-old's eviction

Tens of thousands of people marched through central Madrid on Saturday, 26 September 2026, to protest the eviction earlier that week of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the flat she had lived in for 70 years. Government authorities put the turnout at around 25,000, while the Madrid Tenants' Union, which organised the march, said over 300,000 people took part.afp.com+1

The protest ended outside parliament and put fresh pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government to curb evictions and rising housing costs, ahead of a general election due in 2027. Abascal's case has become a symbol of Spain's housing crisis, and regular protests have taken place across the country since her eviction on Wednesday.channelnewsasia.com

What the eviction changed

Abascal was carried from her Madrid flat on a stretcher on Wednesday after police broke down her door, images that thrust the housing crisis back into the spotlight. She had moved into the apartment in Madrid's Retiro neighbourhood with her parents in 1956 and later took over the lease. Courts blocked three previous attempts to evict her before she was finally removed.juneesoutherncross.com.au

After the building was sold to a real estate company, she was told to move out because her old lease was set to expire. The investment fund Urbagestion, which later bought the unit, raised her monthly rent from 500 euros to 2,650 euros, a rise of 275%, according to the Madrid Tenants' Union. The fund then lowered the rent to 1,650 euros, which Abascal still could not afford on her pension.

Protesters rattled keys, blew whistles and held banners reading "You could be the next Maricarmen" as they marched from Puerta del Sol to the Congress building. The Ministry of the Interior put the number of participants at around 25,000, while organisers from the tenants' association Sindicato de Inquilinas estimated 300,000. Larger rallies were held simultaneously in eleven other cities across Spain.

Where the turnout numbers came from

Alicia del Rio, spokesman for the Madrid Tenants' Union, told reporters at the start of the march that the eviction had caused outrage and marked a turning point. The march ended outside parliament, where some activists set up a protest camp in Puerta del Sol square. An AFP reporter counted about a dozen tents in front of the Madrid regional government headquarters.

Abascal urged Spaniards to join the protest in a video message posted online hours before it began, saying she wanted what happened to her to serve so it would not happen to others. She has been treated in hospital for exhaustion since her eviction. In an interview with RTVE, she said: "Please, keep fighting."

The Bank of Spain estimates Spain, a country of around 50 million people, is short of 700,000 homes, based on the gap between demand and new construction. Spain has little public housing: public rental housing represents less than two per cent of available supply, against a European Union average of eight per cent. Rents have been driven up by demand from tourism and population growth linked to immigration.

What the decree would do

Protesters blamed both Sanchez's left-wing central government and the conservative regional government of Isabel Diaz Ayuso in Madrid. Their demands included automatic extension of lease agreements, better protection against evictions, a rent freeze and reform of rental law. Irene Montero, a Podemos politician and member of the European Parliament, called for the expropriation of 650,000 apartments she said are owned by vulture funds.

Sanchez has called Abascal's eviction a "social tragedy that we cannot accept". The government is expected to approve a package of measures dubbed the "Maricarmen decree" at its next cabinet meeting, including automatic renewal of rental contracts and further restrictions on evictions. The decree-law would take effect immediately but must be approved by parliament within 30 days.

It is unclear whether the package will pass parliament, where Sanchez's government lacks a majority, and the government is still negotiating with several parties. A similar bill was defeated earlier this year, though Abascal's case has increased pressure on political parties to act. The next cabinet meeting, where the decree is expected, is scheduled for Tuesday.

The march came ahead of a general election due in 2027, and protesters said the problem extended beyond one case. Dora Garcia, a 55-year-old nurse, said housing affects all of society, all ages and classes. Irene Lopez, a 33-year-old engineer, said rents are out of step with salaries, while 76-year-old pensioner Maricarmen Arnedo said young people cannot move out of their parents' homes.