An 87-year-old Madrid woman whose eviction from her longtime home helped trigger nationwide protests over Spain’s chronic housing crisis died on Wednesday, the Madrid Tenants’ Union said.
“We are sorry to announce that Maricarmen passed away today,” the union said in a statement about Maricarmen Abascal, whose case it described as “a turning point in the history of this country.”
Demonstrators hold a banner reading: “Not one Maricarmen more” during a protest against Spain’s housing crisis after the forceful eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her apartment in Madrid, Spain, September 26, 2026. REUTERS/Alejandro Martinez Velez
Abascal became a symbol of Spain’s housing crisis after she was evicted on a stretcher from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for decades on Sept. 23, following a drastic rent increase by the real estate company that owned the property.
Her eviction sparked demonstrations across Spain, including a highly symbolic protest in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, where hundreds of people camped out to demand action on housing. The protests subsequently prompted the government to announce new measures aimed at addressing the country’s housing crisis.
