Forcibly Evicted on a Stretcher from Home of 70 Years... Furious Tenants Take to the Streets

Demonstrations and rallies demanding measures to address housing shortages are spreading across Spain.

An estimated 70,000 people by authorities and 500,000 by organizers gathered in the capital city of Madrid alone.

On the 3rd, local time, protests demanding housing crisis measures were held in some 40 major cities across Spain, including Madrid and Valencia.

Rallies were postponed in some areas such as Barcelona, which suffered flood damage from heavy rain.

In Madrid's Puerta del Sol square, about 2,000 people have pitched tents and are staging a overnight sit-in that has entered its seventh day.

In Valencia, as the protests intensified, some police officers were seen taking cover, and police used tear gas and rubber bullets to forcefully disperse the demonstrators.

Protest participants marched carrying placards calling for rent caps and a general strike.

Valeria Racu, spokesperson for the Madrid Tenants Union, said they are discussing schedules for a general strike with other organizations.

She stated, "Power has returned to the streets," adding, "We will continue protesting until everything changes."

This wave of protests was triggered when 87-year-old Mari Carmen Abascal was forcibly evicted from her apartment in Madrid where she had lived for over 70 years.

Significant controversy arose as scenes of her being carried out of her home on a stretcher and police violently suppressing protesters trying to block the eviction were broadcast live on TV.

Tenant groups claimed that a real estate company that purchased the apartment in 2018 raised the monthly rent from 500 euros (approx. 760,000 won) to 2,650 euros (approx. 4.02 million won), and later adjusted it to 1,650 euros (approx. 2.5 million won).

According to local media reports, an average of three forced evictions are carried out every day in Madrid alone.

The Spanish government hastily introduced a tenant protection decree featuring the automatic extension of lease contracts until 2028, restrictions on the eviction of vulnerable tenants, and tightened regulations on short-term rentals, but it was voted down in parliament due to opposition from the opposition party.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.