More than 10,000 people protested in Madrid following the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, who had lived in her apartment for 71 years.
Her rent had been €500 a month, but the company that owns the apartment raised it to €2,650 in an effort to force her out. Although the rent was later reduced to €1,650, Abascal could not afford it on her monthly pension of €1,350.
Abascal’s case has sparked outrage among politicians and the wider public, resonating particularly with people across Spain who are struggling to find housing in an increasingly unaffordable market.
An average of three evictions take place every day in the Madrid region, according to El País.
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside her home in solidarity. The 87-year-old was eventually taken out on a stretcher and admitted to hospital suffering from exhaustion, anxiety and stress.
The protest in Madrid was the focal point of a broader campaign spreading across Spain. The #Niundesahuciomás (“Not One More Eviction”) platform called for simultaneous demonstrations in Ávila, Barcelona, Cádiz, Oviedo, Seville and Valencia.
The issue also reached the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the eviction as “a social tragedy that we cannot accept as a country.” He placed responsibility on Madrid’s local and regional authorities, which are governed by the centre-right Partido Popular (PP).
Source:EL PAÍS
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