Sunday, October 4, 2026 - Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Spain on Saturday as anger over the country's housing crisis intensified following parliament's rejection of two government measures aimed at strengthening tenant protections.
Demonstrations were organised in more than 50 cities, including Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, with protesters demanding urgent action on rising rents, evictions and access to affordable housing.
The rejected measures would have provided stronger safeguards for vulnerable tenants, including restrictions on evictions and automatic renewal of rental contracts.
The parliamentary defeat followed widespread anger over the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for around seven decades. Her case became a major focus of the protests and helped fuel a week of demonstrations and encampments in the capital.
The protests now put further pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's minority government as Spain struggles with rapidly rising housing costs. Average rents have nearly doubled over the past decade, while asking prices for homes have risen by about 90%.
With protesters calling for stronger tenant protections and even a general strike, the housing crisis has become an increasingly urgent political and social issue across Spain.
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