Madrid: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid on Saturday to protest Spain's housing crisis, demanding stronger tenant protections, anti-fraud measures and a ban on evictions without alternative housing.
The protest was sparked by the eviction on Wednesday of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for decades. She was taken from her home on a stretcher and taken to hospital after police carried out the eviction.
The Madrid Tenants' Union, which organised the protest, said Abascal's case had become a symbol of the country's housing crisis. Courts had previously blocked three attempts to evict her, according to the union.
“We're here so that the government listens to us, listens to a society that is tired of speculation, tired of corruption, and tired of a system that sidelines the vast majority of the population,” said Jorge Otxoa, a 41-year-old union member.
Rising costs and a shortage of affordable housing are pricing many Spaniards out of the market, despite strong economic growth in Europe's fourth-largest economy. Incomes have not kept pace, while analysts say tourism and immigration-driven population growth in cities have placed further pressure on limited housing supply.
At the end of the march, protesters sat down in Puerta del Sol and began setting up a protest camp. Some pitched tents and planned to stay at least overnight.
“We need to challenge housing speculation; we are being kicked out of our homes, our neighbourhoods and streets,” said Claudia, a 22-year-old student. “We need to take to the streets, we need to fight, and we need to make our demands.”
Spain's left-wing coalition government has pushed for stronger tenant protections and rent controls but has struggled to win backing in a divided parliament. The conservative-led Madrid regional government has favoured a market-led approach.(With agency inputs from AP via PTI, Reuters)