Video. Watch: mass Madrid protests over Maricarmen eviction and housing disaster

Around 150 tents crammed the sq. on Sunday, with households of a number of generations becoming a member of the sit-in. Demonstrators say they may stay there till a minimum of Tuesday, when the Spanish authorities is because of meet.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Banners throughout the sq. known as for “Affordable housing”, “Right to Housing at a good value” and “Not yet another Maricarmen”, reflecting wider calls for for lease freezes, stronger tenant protections and an finish to evictions with out various lodging.

Maricarmen had lived in the identical Madrid flat for round 70 years, after her father rented it in 1956. The Madrid Tenants’ Union says the property was later acquired by an asset placement fund, which elevated her lease from €500 to €2,650 a month earlier than decreasing it to €1,650. Police ultimately evicted her on Wednesday, after a number of makes an attempt. She was taken to hospital after changing into exhausted through the operation.

Her eviction has grow to be a logo of Spain’s wider housing disaster. The Bank of Spain estimated a scarcity of round 550,000 houses final 12 months, whereas public subsidised rental housing represents lower than 2% of the nation’s housing inventory, in contrast with an EU common of 8%.

Saturday’s march drew round 25,000 folks in response to authorities, whereas the Madrid Tenants’ Union put the turnout at greater than 300,000.