Public anger over a housing crisis has exploded in Spain, drawing tens of thousands of people to street protests following the forced eviction of an 87-year-old woman.
AP and AFP reported that tens of thousands of citizens marched through downtown Madrid on September 26, local time, urging the government to lower housing costs and implement tenant protection measures.
Protesters set up about 100 tents in Puerta del Sol square, a bustling area in Madrid, and spent the night there.
On the night of September 27, local time, an even larger crowd, including families, joined the overnight protest to denounce Spain's housing crisis.
The protests were triggered by the forced eviction of an 87-year-old female tenant from her home.
Maria Del Carmen Abascal, who had lived for over 70 years in the upscale Retiro district of Madrid, was carried out on a stretcher on September 23 after police broke down her door.
As footage of the eviction spread across Spain, accumulated public frustration over surging rent and housing purchase costs boiled over.
The Madrid Tenants Union explained that Abascal had lived as a tenant in this apartment for over 70 years, starting from the days of her parents.
The building's ownership changed in 2018, and while Abascal was given an opportunity to buy the apartment, she could not afford it financially.
Subsequently, the real estate investment firm that purchased the building sharply raised her monthly rent from 500 euros (approx. 770,000 won) to 2,650 euros (approx. 4.1 million won).
Although the rent was later lowered to 1,650 euros (approx. 2.55 million won) following adjustments, it was still an amount that Abascal could not manage with her pension.
In the end, Abascal was kicked out of the home where she had spent her entire life.
Hospitalized after the forced eviction, Abascal delivered a message through the Tenants Union on September 26, saying, "I hope this serves as a turning point so that what happened to me does not happen to others," expressing her wish that her case would help lead to revisions in related laws.
On social media, the Tenants Union urged citizens to join the protests, stating, "We can no longer endure this. Either the rental system collapses, or the government does."
Citizens participating in the protests on September 26, local time, complained that the housing market has reached an unbearable point.
Enrique Ortega de Miguel, a 38-year-old graphic designer who lives with his mother, told AFP, "Finding an affordable home is a struggle in itself, and on top of that, you have to live in fear of being evicted."
Film director Pedro Almodovar, who won the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival in 2024 for his movie "The Room Next Door", also took to the square.
In an interview with Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, Almodovar pointed out that "this incident was the final straw" and that the current housing situation in Spain is "absolutely unbearable."
In major Spanish cities, housing prices have surged significantly due to chronic supply shortages, compounded by the expansion of the tourism industry shifting homes to short-term rentals, population influxes, and foreign speculation.
Madrid real estate agency Idealista estimates that monthly rents have nearly doubled over the past 10 years.
The Youth Council of Spain (CJE) pointed out that a young worker living alone must spend an amount equivalent to 98.7% of their average monthly salary just to rent a home.
Housing issues in Spain have also emerged as a major issue in political circles ahead of next year's general election.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, a member of the Socialist Party, mentioned Abascal's case at a Socialist Party rally on September 27, local time, stating, "The government is doing everything in its power to prepare housing-related bills."
The legislation mentioned by Prime Minister Sanchez is expected to include automatic lease renewals and additional restrictions on evictions.
However, because the Socialist Party does not hold a majority in parliament, whether the bills will pass remains uncertain.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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