Spanish pensioner whose eviction sparked nationwide housing protests dies at 87

An 87 year old woman whose eviction triggered nationwide housing protests across Spain and forced early elections has died, the BBC News World reported, citing Madrid tenants union. Maricarmen Abascal passed away after she was taken to a hospital following her removal from her apartment. [1]

According to BBC News World, Abascal was forcibly removed on a stretcher from her apartment of more than 70 years on 23 September after she was unable to afford rent increases. The company that owned the flat later offered to let her return at a lower rate, but she was unable to sign the agreement because she was already hospitalized. [1]

The eviction brought the affordable housing crisis in Spain back into the public spotlight. Public discontent had already been growing following a scandal over the purchase of a luxury penthouse by Madrid premier Isabel Díaz Ayuso and the suicide of an evicted woman in L Hospitalet de Llobregat earlier in September. [2]

Demonstrations escalated on 26 September when protesters set up an organized protest camp at the Puerta del Sol square in Madrid. Public actions surrounding the movement have drawn widespread comparisons to the 2011 15 M Movement. [2]

The Madrid Tenants Union described Abascal's situation in a public statement as a turning point in the ongoing struggle for affordable housing in the country. [1]