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Police Evict 87-Year-Old Despite Humanitarian Appeals in Madrid

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 6:21 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Police Evict Abascal

Police evicted 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid home after a 30-minute notice.
Police placed Abascal on a stretcher and took her to a hospital by ambulance.
Hundreds of protesters chanted “Maricarmen, you’re not alone” while police pushed them back from the doorway.
Lawyer Beatriz Duro said investment fund Urbagestion refused to suspend the eviction despite humanitarian appeals.

Summary

Urbagestión Sues Union

Urbagestión Desarrollo e Inversión S.L. is seeking €10,000 damages from the Madrid Tenants' Union over the support campaign.
The Ministry of Housing criticised Madrid City Council for not ruling on Maricarmen’s vulnerable status despite a pending application.
In 2020 Urbagestión offered Maricarmen the chance to buy her flat for €247,000, which she could not afford.

History

Historical Context

In 1998, the Guggenheim Bilbao was highlighted in art publications, marking a wave of high-profile cultural projects that spurred urban redevelopment in Spain. In 2000, Barcelona’s exhibition “Buscando otros lugares: el arte como asistencia social” linked art to social concerns, a precursor to the senior-housing debates resurfacing with the 2024 eviction and later projects in Istanbul Modern (2005–2007) kept the dialogue alive.

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Police Evict Abascal

Police evicted 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid home after a 30-minute notice.
Police placed Abascal on a stretcher and took her to a hospital by ambulance.
Hundreds of protesters chanted “Maricarmen, you’re not alone” while police pushed them back from the doorway.
Lawyer Beatriz Duro said investment fund Urbagestion refused to suspend the eviction despite humanitarian appeals.

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