Spanish pensioner whose eviction sparked housing protests dies at 87
publishers 17articles 17first reported 7 Oct, 20:45 UTCdeveloping since 8 Oct · 7 editions
María del Carmen Abascal, the 87-year-old pensioner whose eviction from her longtime Madrid apartment prompted nationwide protests over Spain’s housing crisis, died in hospital on Wednesday, her lawyer confirmed.
Abascal, widely known as Maricarmen, had lived in the apartment for more than seven decades. An investment firm that bought the property sought to raise her rent by 230%, according to The Irish Times and The Guardian. Police removed her on a stretcher during the eviction two weeks before her death, and she was later treated in hospital for severe exhaustion.
The eviction led to demonstrations and protest encampments across Spain. About 10,000 people marched in Madrid within hours, The Irish Times reported. Thousands more were expected to join a memorial march through the capital on Thursday, while mourners placed flowers, candles and handwritten messages near her former home.
The investment firm later agreed to let Abascal return, but the Madrid tenants’ union said she died hours before she was due to sign a new lease. The union called her ordeal preventable.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo offered condolences. Sánchez has called a general election for November 29 after right-wing and far-right parties rejected emergency housing measures proposed by his government. Abascal’s eviction also prompted housing campaigners to plan a general strike next month.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 7 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 18 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 17
- Source articles
- 17
- Given to the writer
- 7, 3 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7
- This version written
- 18 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
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