Madrid Protest Camp Follows Eviction of 87-Year-Old Woman

Thousands of people marched through central Madrid on Saturday to protest the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal and call for stronger tenant protections. After the demonstration, protesters set up an encampment in Puerta del Sol, where about 100 to 150 tents were reported by Sunday morning. The march’s attendance remains disputed: authorities estimated about 25,000 participants, while organizers said roughly 300,000 or more attended. The protest followed Abascal’s eviction from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for 70 years. The Madrid Tenants Union said a real estate firm acquired the property and raised the rent by 275 percent before she was forced to leave. Reports differ on the resulting monthly amount, citing either €2,650 or €3,000. Abascal was shown being carried from the flat on a stretcher after police entered, and she later urged people to press for changes so others would not face a similar situation. Demonstrators marched through central Madrid, rattling keys, blowing whistles and carrying banners calling for action on housing costs and evictions. The Tenants Union organized the march and called for people to remain in Puerta del Sol afterward.