The eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen from her Madrid apartment on September 23, after she had lived there for seventy years, has galvanized Spain’s housing movement ahead of protests planned this weekend in more than fifty cities. Her story, reported by Associated Press and BBC, has become a symbol of the country’s housing crisis.
Tenant unions and grassroots groups are calling for urgent reforms. Just one day before the protests, the Spanish Congress approved two government housing decrees. The Confederación de Sindicatos de Inquilinas backed them but criticized the decision to split basic protections between two texts: one decree covers anti-eviction rules and rent caps, while the other deals with automatic lease extensions. Both must pass for the reforms to proceed. If either fails, they will stall. Reuters and AP report that tenant groups are urging lawmakers to pass the full package, warning that splitting the guarantees could leave renters exposed.
Euronews reported that the slogan “Not one more Maricarmen” has become a rallying cry, as activists from over 20 European countries join the Spanish protests.
The protests did not appear overnight; momentum built throughout the week. Madrid’s Puerta del Sol saw a mass encampment that quickly spread to other cities. On Thursday, caceroladas, or pot-banging protests, rang out at town halls as protesters called on parliamentary groups to support the housing measures. In Logroño, marchers moved from the old bus station to city hall. AP and BBC counted hundreds at Puerta del Sol, sometimes nearly a thousand. Saturday’s Madrid demonstration drew tens of thousands.
Protest plans are extensive. Friday brings rallies in Bilbao, Donostia, Pamplona, Segovia, Sevilla, and Vitoria, with more events set for Sunday in some of these cities. Saturday morning, marches are planned in València, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Ferrol, Madrid, Arrecife, Cádiz, Guadalajara, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, León, Los Llanos de Aridane, Huelva, Girona, Palma, Puerto del Rosario, Santander, Santiago de Compostela, Zamora, Ourense, and Talavera de la Reina. Saturday afternoon, crowds are expected in Zaragoza, Albacete, Toledo, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, A Coruña, Granada, Jerez de la Frontera, Lugo, Málaga, Soria, Valladolid, Vigo, Palencia, and Burgos. Sunday’s actions are planned in Almería, Cuenca, Badajoz, Gijón, Salamanca, Logroño, Murcia, Teruel, and Córdoba. Pontevedra joins on Monday night. Ávila and Ciudad Real are also confirmed. The list keeps growing.
Organizers describe the protests as a coordinated response to shaky laws and the human cost of Spain’s housing policies. In L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, a march initially planned as a tribute to Olga, a resident who died by suicide after eviction, has become a wider call to prevent such tragedies. Protesters have drawn lessons from the Puerta del Sol encampment, reported earlier.
Associated Press and other major outlets have linked the protests to rising rents and a shortage of affordable housing, alongside increasing eviction rates in Spain’s largest cities, which have left many tenants vulnerable. Protesters are demanding a ban on evictions without alternative housing and stronger tenant protections, as well as effective rent controls.
Behind the banners, frustration runs deep. The Confederación de Sindicatos de Inquilinas supports the government’s decrees but criticizes the piecemeal approach, warning that splitting the reforms into two votes could leave tenants unprotected if one fails. Tenants are seeking enforceable protections against eviction and rent hikes. Reuters reports that the government’s emergency housing package includes new eviction safeguards and rent rules, but advocacy groups fear protections could be watered down if the measures do not pass together.
The coming days will test protesters’ resolve and lawmakers’ promises. Spain’s housing crisis is now front and center in politics. The government’s next move will show whether public pressure brings change or adds to the frustration of those fighting to stay in their homes.
