Madrid encampment protest over eviction
The gist
Police evicted 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid home.
The protests highlight Spain's housing crisis and pressure the government to protect renters.
How it unfolded
- Sep 23, 2026Police evicted 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal on a stretcher from her Madrid home of more than seven decades, acting on an eviction order secured by the investment fund that bought her apartment.
- Sep 26, 2026People set up tents and gathered at Puerta del Sol in Madrid to protest the eviction and demand stronger laws to protect renters; some 30,000 people marched through Madrid, shaking keys and bearing banners with slogans including 'Speculators go home' and 'Housing is for living'.
- Sep 27, 2026Protesters packed the historic Puerta del Sol plaza after camping overnight, extending demonstrations into a second day; more demonstrators, including multigenerational families, joined.