Thousands of people are expected to march through central Madrid on Thursday evening in memory of María del Carmen Abascal, the 87-year-old pensioner whose eviction from her home drew national attention to Spain’s housing crisis.
Abascal, widely known as Maricarmen, died in hospital on Wednesday night, roughly two weeks after she was evicted from her flat in the Spanish capital. The planned demonstration follows a wave of protests sparked by her case.
Her home had been bought by an investment firm that sought to raise her rent by 230%. The dispute turned the pensioner into a prominent symbol of concerns over rising housing costs and the position of long-term tenants facing eviction.
According to reporting by The Guardian, Thursday’s rally will bring mourners and housing campaigners together in the centre of Madrid. The march is expected to underscore how one tenant’s case has become part of a broader national debate over housing policy in Spain.