Eviction of 87-year-old woman sparks protests in Madrid
publishers 9articles 12first reported 23 Sep, 12:31 UTCdeveloping since 23 Sep · 9 editions
Police evicted 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her longtime Madrid apartment on Wednesday, prompting protests and renewed debate over rising rents and tenant protections in Spain.
Abascal said she had lived in the Alcalde Sainz de Baranda Street apartment for 71 years and did not want to leave. Given about 30 minutes to collect her belongings, she was escorted from the property by riot police on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to a hospital, according to Deutsche Welle, citing the Madrid tenants’ association Inquilinas de Madrid.
Dozens of supporters gathered behind a police cordon and chanted in support of Abascal. The Guardian reported that police used tear gas against protesters.
El País reported that Abascal rented from a private landlord until a real estate company acquired the property and assumed its management in 2018. The resulting legal dispute lasted eight years, and Wednesday’s operation was the fourth attempt to remove her. Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, said the company rejected proposals from Abascal’s legal team and requests to postpone the eviction. The company had not commented publicly.
Inquilinas de Madrid said an anonymous writer had offered to cover Abascal’s rent, but the company rejected that proposal. The case has drawn social and political criticism amid broader disputes over housing affordability, rent controls and protections for long-term tenants in Spain’s largest cities.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 1 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 36 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 9
- Source articles
- 12
- Given to the writer
- 8, 1 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7
- This version written
- 36 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
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