Protests against the housing crisis in Spain bring together tens of thousands in Madrid and other cities

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid and other Spanish cities this Saturday (3), intensifying demands for measures to face a growing housing crisis, after two decrees from Pedro Sánchez's government were overturned by the opposition.

The country has been the scene of a wave of protests following an eviction order for an 87-year-old woman in the Spanish capital, which became a symbol of the crisis. Some protesters displayed signs calling for a general strike after measures designed to respond to widespread outrage.

According to the government, around 70,000 protesters participated in the demonstration in Madrid. Planned protests in Barcelona and the nearby town of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat were canceled because of heavy rain.

"It's a shame," says Nando de Anguulo, 26, who participated in this Saturday's protest in Madrid. "This just proves that it is we, the people, who have to adapt to political parties, and not politicians to what the people want, and this cannot continue like this."

Measures drawn up by Sánchez included a ban on evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030, an extension of the rent freeze for two years for contracts already in place and stricter rules for short-term rentals. For the opposition, the package was unable to solve the problem and would still restrict the Spanish real estate market.

The prime minister could call an early election, the Spanish press reported on Friday (2), and would be observing the strength of the protests called this Saturday before making a decision.

Sánchez's office declined to comment on the information.

In the city of Valencia, in the southeast of the country, protesters clashed with police, who fired rubber bullets and used tear gas to disperse the protests.

Around 30 protesters managed to enter the City of Arts and Sciences, an important cultural complex in the city, before being removed by the police. Other demonstrations in 50 Spanish cities took place without clashes.

Valeria Racu, spokeswoman for the Tenants Union, told journalists in Madrid that a general strike would be called after negotiations with labor unions.