Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Madrid on Saturday to denounce Spain’s worsening housing crisis and to protest the forced eviction of an 87‑year‑old resident. The crowd converged on the city’s historic Puerta del Sol plaza, where many participants set up a makeshift camp and spent the night in solidarity with the elderly woman.
The protest, organized by housing‑rights groups, highlighted the growing number of evictions across the country as rents climb and affordable homes become scarcer. Activists warned that the case of the octogenarian is emblematic of a broader trend affecting vulnerable tenants, particularly seniors who lack the resources to secure alternative accommodation.
Puerta del Sol, a central hub known for its iconic clock tower and as a traditional gathering point for public demonstrations, became the focal point of the overnight encampment. Demonstrators carried signs and chanted slogans demanding stronger tenant protections and an end to forced removals that leave seniors and low‑income families homeless.
While authorities have not released an official statement on the specific eviction, the scale of the protest underscores mounting public pressure on municipal and national governments to address housing affordability and to implement policies that safeguard at‑risk residents.
The demonstration adds to a series of recent actions across Spain, where housing activists have called for rent controls, increased social housing construction, and stricter enforcement of eviction moratoria that were introduced during the pandemic.
<small>Source: NPR — read the original story there.</small>
