Story perspectives

Madrid police enforce eviction as 1,000 protestors gather

By Drooid · Sep 26, 2026, 10:27 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Tenant Unions Protest Eviction

Tenant unions protested in Madrid after 87-year-old resident Maricarmen Abascal was evicted.
Police used about 15 vans and officers while 1,000 bystanders tried stopping the eviction.
Demonstrations occurred in 12 cities, Barcelona and Valencia, under the slogan “Not one more Maricarmen.”
Tenants' Union demanded unblocking the housing Royal Decree-Law, rent freezes and automatic lease renewals.
The union blamed regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso and the national government for the eviction.

Summary

Supreme Court Upholds Claim

Spain’s Supreme Court upheld Urbagestión’s claim, reversing earlier rulings.
The tenancy originates from a 1956 “renta antigua” lease signed by the tenant’s father.
Urbagestión proposed moving the flat into the Reviva affordable-rent scheme and awaits council response.
Madrid City Council says it offered her several alternative homes, all of which she refused.
The UN urged Spain to stop the eviction, citing human-rights concerns.

History

Historical Context

Spain’s 1975 Parliament passed the Urban Lease Law, capping rents and guaranteeing renewal for about 2.3 million units, a protection invoked in the 2024 Abascal eviction case. The law mirrors earlier housing controls such as the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1917 ruling against racial zoning and the 1968 Fair Housing Act, and precedes recent zoning relaxations like California’s 2021 Senate Bill 9.

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Tenant Unions Protest Eviction

Tenant unions protested in Madrid after 87-year-old resident Maricarmen Abascal was evicted.
Police used about 15 vans and officers while 1,000 bystanders tried stopping the eviction.
Demonstrations occurred in 12 cities, Barcelona and Valencia, under the slogan “Not one more Maricarmen.”
Tenants' Union demanded unblocking the housing Royal Decree-Law, rent freezes and automatic lease renewals.
The union blamed regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso and the national government for the eviction.

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