Tens of thousands demonstrate in Madrid for the right to housing and against forced evictions

Madrid. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Madrid for the right to housing and against forced evictions. The protest was under the motto “Ni una Maricarmen más” (“No more Maricarmen”) and was primarily directed against the forced eviction of an 87-year-old who had been evicted from her apartment in the Spanish capital after 70 years. The Ministry of the Interior spoke of around 25,000 participants, the organizers from the tenants' association “Sindicato de Inquilinas” of 300,000.

The case of 87-year-old Maricarmen attracted a lot of attention in Spain. She moved into the apartment in the Retiro district of Madrid with her parents in 1956 and later took over the rental agreement. After the building was sold to a real estate company, she was supposed to move out because her old rental agreement was about to be terminated. On Wednesday, after several failed attempts to evict her, she was finally evicted from the apartment and then taken to hospital.

“I didn't manage to defend my house, but I fought so that others learned to fight for theirs,” Maricarmen said in a message distributed through the tenants' association. In an interview with the TV station RTVE she said: “Please keep fighting”. The pensioner has limited mobility and has a disability level of 50 percent. Despite her situation, she said she wanted to continue fighting for the right to housing.

After the demonstration ended, participants set up a protest camp with dozens of tents on Puerta del Sol. Hundreds prepared to spend the night in the packed square in a cheerful mood. "I see a very bleak future for all of us. That makes it all the better that we are all here together to ensure that each of us wants to have a home," a young demonstrator told RTVE.

The demonstrators blame both the left-wing central government of Pedro Sánchez and conservative regional governments such as that of Isabel Díaz Ayuso in Madrid for the housing shortage. They are calling, among other things, for the automatic extension of rental agreements for an indefinite period of time, better protection against evictions, a freeze on rents and a reform of tenancy law that regulates temporary rental agreements and the rental of rooms more closely.

Senior politician from the left-wing Podemos party and MEP Irene Montero called for the expropriation of 650,000 apartments, which she said are owned by so-called “vulture funds”, in order to use them for social housing.

People of different generations took part in the march from Puerta del Sol to the Congress building. Whole families, young people and pensioners walked together through the center of the capital. There were larger rallies in eleven other Spanish cities at the same time. The first demonstrations have already taken place across the country in the past few days.

In the wake of the protests, the government is working on passing a new legislative decree on housing policy in the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Among other things, measures against forced evictions are planned. The Real Decree-Law would have immediate legal force, but would then have to be approved by Parliament within 30 days. The government is currently still negotiating with several parties about the necessary majority.