Due to the eviction of an 87-year-old: Tens of thousands in the 'tent protest' that took over Madrid

María del Carmen Abascal, 87, was forcibly evicted from her apartment in Madrid after an investment fund demanded her rent be raised from €440 to €1,650. The eviction sparked a wave of protests: tens of thousands marched through Madrid's streets, and hundreds set up a tent camp in Puerta del Sol square. Spain's government, led by Pedro Sánchez, faces harsh criticism and is planning a package of measures dubbed the 'Marikarmen decree'.

María del Carmen Abascal, 87, was forcibly evicted from her Madrid apartment last Wednesday after an investment fund demanded her monthly rent be raised from €440 to €1,650. Her monthly pension was only €1,350. The eviction, carried out on a stretcher, ignited a nationwide wave of protests. Yesterday (Saturday), tens of thousands marched through Madrid's streets, and at the march's conclusion, hundreds of protesters set up a tent camp in Puerta del Sol square. Abascal is hospitalized due to exhaustion, and from there released a video calling on Spaniards to join the protest. The left-wing government led by Pedro Sánchez faces harsh criticism over its handling of the housing crisis. The government is expected to approve on Tuesday a package of measures dubbed the 'Marikarmen decree', including automatic renewal of rental contracts and restrictions on evictions. However, the government lacks a parliamentary majority, and a similar bill already failed this year. Meanwhile, the president of the Madrid region, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, is under scrutiny for purchasing a luxury penthouse for €6.3 million through a public agency. The housing crisis has become a burning issue ahead of next year's general elections, with the Bank of Spain estimating a shortage of about 700,000 homes in the country.