Protesters angry over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman have spent the night in Madrid’s historic Puerta del Sol square, where they were joined by more people, including multi-generational families, on Sunday for a second day of protests over Spain’s housing crisis.
Tens of thousands of people marched in Madrid on Saturday to protest the eviction of MarÃa del Carmen Abascal from an apartment in the wealthy Retiro neighborhood, where she had lived for decades. The protesters are demanding protections for tenants, anti-fraud rules and a ban on evictions without providing alternative housing. Many protesters refused to leave at the end of Saturday’s march and set up tents in Puerta del Sol to spend the night.
The Tenants’ Union, which has been leading the protests, has said they will remain in the camps at least until next Tuesday, when Spain’s Socialist-led government will hold a cabinet meeting and is expected to announce new measures.
Rising costs and a shortage of housing have made it unaffordable for many Spaniards, despite strong economic growth in Europe’s fourth-largest economy. Incomes have not kept pace with rising housing costs, and analysts say tourism and population growth driven by immigration to cities have added further pressure on the limited supply of housing. The Bank of Spain estimated last year that the country had a shortage of around 550 homes, with Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia accounting for a significant portion of the gap.