Thousands protest in Spain after 87-year-old woman dies from eviction-related hospitalization

Maricarmen Abascal has died at 87, ending the life of a woman whose forced eviction from a Madrid apartment ignited mass housing protests and forced the government to call an early November election.

Madrid's tenants' union announced her death on Wednesday. Abascal was hospitalized on 23 September after police and social workers carried her on a stretcher from the home she had lived in for more than 70 years. She used a wheelchair. Officials have not announced a cause of death.

The eviction triggered immediate demonstrations. Activists set up camp in Puerta del Sol square to demand urgent action on rising rents and property shortages. Thousands marched from the square to parliament following the news, chanting that the death was a murder.

The unrest directly influenced national politics. Parliament last week rejected government decrees meant to limit evictions and control rent prices. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called an early election for November 29 to address the housing crisis. Trade unions also announced a nationwide general strike for November 11.

Abascal had previously reached an agreement with the property-owning firm to return to her apartment after her hospital discharge. Sanchez expressed condolences on X, writing, "All my love to Maricarmen’s family and loved ones. A hug as well to all of us who feel this loss as our own today.” Territorial policy minister Angel Victor Torres said she became a symbol of families struggling to keep their homes. Abascal recorded a video from her hospital bed before the deal, saying, “I haven’t managed to defend my home, but I have fought so that others can learn to fight for what’s theirs,” Protesters now carry signs reading "Not even one more Maricarmen!" as demonstrations continue across the country.