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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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María Ramírez

It shouldn’t take the eviction of an 87-year-old to get Spain’s housing crisis fixed

A protester holds up a picture of Maricarmen Abascal in Barcelona, 28 September 2026.
A protester holds up a picture of Maricarmen Abascal in Barcelona, 28 September 2026. Photograph: Matteo Secci/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Maricarmen Abascal is a determined woman who uses a wheelchair to get around. She has needed her determination over the years she has spent fighting the real estate company that forced her out of her Madrid apartment last week. She had lived in the flat for more than 70 of her 87 years.

Police forced their way into her apartment after a judge approved Abascal’s eviction. By then, protesters had gathered around the building, including the actor Carlos Bardem, Javier’s brother. Teargas was used against them. Abascal was taken to a Madrid hospital, suffering from anxiety and extreme exhaustion, while her supporters chanted: “You are not alone.”

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