Barcelona Protesters Rally for Housing Rights Amid Crisis

On September 29, 2026, a protest in Barcelona drew attention to Spain’s housing crisis coinciding with Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's visit. Police estimated around 2,000 attendees, while organizers claimed 20,000.

Demonstrators demanded enhanced tenant protections, eviction prevention measures, and changes to rental regulations. The protest was part of a nationwide mobilization, intensified by the eviction of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal from her Madrid home on September 23.

Abascal, known as Maricarmen, had lived in her apartment for approximately 70 years before being removed due to a significant rent increase from €500 to €2,650, later reduced to €1,650. With a pension of around €1,350, she could not afford the new rent.

Her eviction became emblematic of the housing issues in Spain, prompting mass protests in Madrid and calls for stronger tenant protections. Sánchez acknowledged the urgent need for government action and is working on a housing decree to address these challenges.