Madrid protesters camp on Puerta del Sol after 87-year-old's eviction
Thousands protested in Madrid on Saturday after the eviction of an 87-year-old woman, with demonstrators setting up an encampment on Puerta del Sol to demand housing measures and stricter eviction rules. The eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, removed on a stretcher after police forced her door, has reignited Spain's housing crisis ahead of 2027 elections. Protesters, estimated at 25,000 by authorities or 300,000 by organizers, called for tenant protections and lower rents. Abascal, who lost a home she held for 70 years after rent rose 275% to 2,650 euros, urged public action from hospital. Around a dozen tents were pitched, echoing a 2011 occupation, as residents described unaffordable housing and fear of displacement.