Madrid protesters camp outside regional government office after eviction of 87-year-old tenant

Madrid, Spain. Protesters began a third day camped outside the Madrid regional government’s office on Monday, objecting to the eviction of an 87-year-old tenant and demanding stronger protections amid a housing shortage and soaring rents.

Eviction sparks protests

Police evicted Maricarmen Abascal on a stretcher from the home where she had lived for more than seven decades. The eviction order was secured by an investment fund that had bought her apartment.

Hundreds of people outside the building clashed with police last week. The leftist central government condemned the centre-right regional administration for failing to prevent the eviction.

On Saturday, about 30,000 people marched through Madrid to protest the treatment of Maricarmen and others forced from their homes by investment funds. Marchers shook keys and carried banners reading “Speculators go home” and “Housing is for living”.

Tents fill Puerta del Sol

As night fell on Saturday, dozens of activists pitched tents in Puerta del Sol, where the office of Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the centre-right president of the Madrid region, is located. The number of tents grew steadily, reaching hundreds by Monday.

The encampment echoed protests in 2011, when activists occupied the square for a month to demonstrate against austerity measures adopted during the global financial crisis.

Blanca, a student, said young Spaniards were struggling to leave their parents’ homes. “Politicians not only do nothing but make it worse,” she said. “We’ve decided to put our foot down, so let’s hope they hear us.”

Further protests were planned across Spain on Monday, according to the Tenants’ Union, which has been coordinating the demonstrations.