Share to ClassroomWoman Loses Home, Thousands Protest in Madrid
An 87-year-old woman in Madrid has lost her home of more than 70 years, and thousands of people are now protesting. On September 23, María del Carmen Abascal, called Maricarmen by her supporters, was carried out of her flat on a stretcher. Her supporters tried to stop the eviction— when an owner makes someone leave their home— but they failed. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people marched through Madrid. Many then slept in tents in the city's famous Puerta del Sol square.
Her father first rented the flat in 1956. In 2018, the building got a new owner. Later, an investment company raised her rent from 500 euros to 2,650 euros a month. It then lowered the rent to 1,650 euros, but she still could not pay it with her pension. Housing in Spain has become very expensive, and wages have not kept up. Experts say the country is short of about 550,000 homes.
The protesters want better protection for people who rent. They also want no evictions when people have nowhere else to go. They say they will stay in the square until new laws are passed. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez promised new housing rules, but Abascal blames him for losing her home.
