Tens of thousands of people marched through Madrid on Saturday, September 26, 2026, to protest the eviction of an 87-year-old resident and the broader housing shortage in Spain. The demonstration culminated in an encampment at the Puerta del Sol plaza, where activists staged a sit-in to demand protective measures for tenants and a ban on evictions without alternative housing.
The protest followed the Wednesday eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, a wheelchair user who had lived in her apartment in Madrid’s Retiro neighborhood for more than 70 years. According to the Madrid tenants union, an investment fund named Urbagestión acquired the building in 2018 and subsequently sought a significant rent increase. Abascal had been contesting the eviction in court for more than five years.
Witnesses and video footage showed Abascal being removed from her home on a stretcher and transported by ambulance as dozens of police officers held back supporters. Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, stated that the eviction proceeded despite humanitarian appeals and a pending court filing. Duro also noted that an anonymous donor had offered to cover the rent, but the landlord declined to sign a new lease. Urbagestión did not respond to requests for comment.
The scale of the crisis was highlighted by coordinated rallies in 16 Spanish cities, including Granada, Logroño, and Zaragoza, involving tens of thousands of participants. Protesters argued that current market dynamics are pricing long-term residents out of their own neighborhoods. These demonstrations follow previous unrest in Barcelona, where activists linked the housing shortage to a surge in short-term vacation rentals for tourists.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the situation from the United Nations General Assembly, describing the eviction as a "social tragedy." He criticized regional officials for prioritizing luxury developments over social housing. While the European Union introduced new rules earlier in September 2026 to regulate short-term rentals, the protesters in Madrid remained in their encampment through Sunday, September 27, 2026, seeking immediate national legislative changes to halt further evictions.