Key facts
- Protests in Madrid entered their third day on Monday.
- The demonstrations began after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal.
- Hundreds of tents have filled the central Puerta del Sol square.
- An estimated 30,000 people marched through Madrid on Saturday.
- The Spanish government plans to enact a housing decree by Tuesday.
- Rents in Spain have doubled over the past decade.
Protests in Madrid, Spain, entered their third day on Monday, with hundreds of demonstrators camping in the central Puerta del Sol square. The demonstrations were sparked by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, who was removed from her home of over seven decades by police on a stretcher. An investment fund had secured an eviction order for her apartment.
Last week, clashes erupted between hundreds of protesters and police outside Abascal's building. The central government condemned the regional administration for failing to prevent the eviction. By Monday, the Puerta del Sol square was filled with tents, reminiscent of the 2011 protests against austerity measures.
On Saturday, an estimated 30,000 people marched through Madrid to protest the treatment of Abascal and others displaced by investment funds. Marchers carried banners with slogans such as "Speculators go home" and "Housing is for living".
Students like Blanca expressed frustration, stating that young Spaniards struggle to leave their parents' homes and that politicians have not adequately addressed the housing crisis. The Tenants' Union has been coordinating the protests, with further demonstrations planned across Spain.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Sunday that the government aims to pass a housing decree by Tuesday to provide immediate relief for tenants. Rents in Spain have doubled over the last decade, significantly outpacing salary growth. The central bank estimates Spain has a deficit of 750,000 homes, with only about 120,000 built annually, a fraction of the pre-2008 financial crisis level. Madrid regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso, however, blamed Sanchez's government for the housing issue.