About 20,000 people marched through central Madrid on Thursday evening to honour María del Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old pensioner who died in hospital Wednesday night after being evicted from her flat.
Abascal's case ignited mass protests across Spain over the country's housing crisis. An investment firm that purchased her flat sought to raise her rent by 230 per cent. Police used teargas during her eviction a fortnight before her death.
The march underscores deepening tension across Europe over housing affordability and the role of investment firms in rental markets. Spain's housing crisis has become a flashpoint for broader questions about who can afford to live in major cities as institutional investors acquire residential properties and raise rents.
Abascal had become the public face of the Spanish housing emergency. Her death transformed a local eviction into a nationwide rallying point, drawing tens of thousands to the streets. The scale of Thursday's gathering reflects how her story resonated beyond Madrid's borders.
The case raises questions about tenant protections in Spain and other European nations where investment firms have increased their share of residential real estate. Similar housing affordability crises have sparked political movements in Germany, France and other EU member states.
No immediate statement from Spanish authorities or the investment firm involved in Abascal's eviction was included in the source material.