Hundreds of protesters have set up camp in central Madrid to demand stronger tenant protections after the eviction of an 87-year-old woman.
A protest camp in central Madrid has grown to include dozens of tents after the eviction of an 87-year-old woman drew widespread public attention to Spain’s housing situation. Protesters camped overnight in the city’s historic Puerta del Sol plaza and were joined by more demonstrators on Sunday, September 27, for a second day of gatherings.
The demonstrators set up around 100 tents across much of the vast public square, which sits in front of the regional administration building in the heart of the capital. Many had refused to go home at the end of a large march on Saturday, choosing instead to pitch tents and stay through the night.
The camp formed in the days after a single eviction became a focal point for wider public frustration. Organizers said they intended to keep the demonstration going, framing it as part of a broader call for changes to housing policy.
Eviction of 87-Year-Old Sparks Madrid Housing Protest
The protest was triggered by the eviction of María del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen, on Wednesday. According to AFP, she was carried from her Madrid flat on a stretcher after police broke down her door, an image that quickly spread and galvanized public reaction.
Abascal had lived in her apartment, in the upscale Retiro neighborhood, for more than seven decades. The building changed ownership in 2018, and she had been offered the chance to buy the apartment but could not afford it, according to the Madrid Tenants’ Union.
Her case drew attention because of her age and the length of time she had called the home her own. It brought renewed focus to gaps in tenant protections and became the catalyst for the demonstrations that followed.
Protesters Demand Stronger Tenant Protections in Spain
The demonstrators are calling for a series of changes to housing law. Their demands include stronger tenant protections, measures to combat fraud, and a ban on evictions when no alternative housing is available. Some also called for indefinite rental contracts.
Tens of thousands of people had marched through Madrid on Saturday before the camp formed. The Madrid Tenants’ Union urged residents to join the gathering at Puerta del Sol, a busy square used heavily by commuters and tourists that has been the site of major protests in the past.
Organizers said they planned to keep the camp in place at least until the coming week, when the government is expected to hold a cabinet meeting and may announce new measures. One organizer said through a megaphone that the group would keep the camp alive until housing was treated as a basic necessity rather than a market asset.
Among those camping was Natalia Navarro, a 27-year-old actress, who said the housing situation had become unsustainable. Others echoed that the difficulty of finding affordable housing now affects a wide range of people, from young renters to older residents like Abascal.
Puerta del Sol has long served as a gathering point for public demonstrations in Spain, and the current camp adds to that history. For now, the tents remain in place as protesters wait to see whether the government will respond to their demands in the days ahead.
