Madrid Protests Erupt After Eviction of 87-Year-Old Woman

Tens of thousands protested in Madrid against forced evictions after an 87-year-old woman was removed from her home, highlighting Spain's housing crisis and pressuring the left-wing government. The eviction of Maricarmen, a disabled pensioner who lived in her Retiro apartment since 1956, sparked the "Ni una Maricarmen más" rally. Organizers claimed 300,000 attendees, while the interior ministry cited 25,000. Protesters blamed both national and regional governments, demanding indefinite lease extensions, eviction protections, and rent freezes. A Podemos politician proposed expropriating 650,000 homes from "vulture funds" for social housing. The government plans a decree on Tuesday with anti-eviction measures, pending parliamentary approval within 30 days. Similar protests occurred in eleven other cities.