Spanish protests over eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Madrid and other Spanish cities against evictions and high rents, sparked by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, who has become a symbol of the housing crisis. Some protesters plan to camp overnight at Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square. Demonstrators at Puerta del Sol waved house keys and shouted slogans against real estate investors, criticizing both the regional government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso and the national government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Abascal, currently hospitalized, had urged mass protests in a video message so that "what happened to her doesn't happen to others." The housing crisis stems from a shortage of over half a million homes, population growth, and tourist rentals, hitting Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia hardest. The government is working on a "Maricarmen decree" to strengthen tenant rights, though its parliamentary majority remains uncertain.