Fresh protests hit Spain after housing measures defeated
The Tenants' Union called for a general strike as protesters said the rejected decrees would leave vulnerable renters and lease renewals unprotected.
- On Saturday, October 3, 2026, tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied across Madrid and about 50 other Spanish cities to demand affordable housing, one day after parliament rejected emergency tenant relief measures.
- Spain's parliament rejected two government housing decrees on Friday, with the first failing 178 to 172 and the second 184 to 166, after Catalan separatist party Junts joined opposition lawmakers to block the measures.
- The eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid flat catalyzed nationwide anger, as a property firm sought a 275% rent increase, fueling demands for a ban on investment firms buying residential properties.
- Popular Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo urged Sanchez to "call elections as soon as possible," claiming he had the backing of "neither the streets nor parliament." The defeat questioned whether the minority government can survive until 2027.
- Bank of Spain estimates reveal a structural deficit of 700,000 homes, while rental costs rose 8.5% in 2025, underscoring why protesters demand systemic reform rather than temporary legislative fixes.
203 Articles
203 Articles
Half a million in Madrid alone, mobilization is rampant. In silence, they ring the keys of their homes: "We won't give up until they change the laws"
The number could still increase, according to police sources, who say that one of the detainees was "throwing fireworks."
Madrid, Oct 3 (EFE).- Thousands of people called by the Sindicato de Inquilinas went out on Saturday to the streets of many cities of Spain to demand solutions to the housing crisis and with the aim of calling a general strike, while the parties move in front of a possible electoral advance. [...] The entrance Miles march for housing in Spain and parties prepare for electoral advancement was first published in HolaNews.
In more than 50 cities, demonstrators demand better tenant protection and affordable housing. In Madrid, around 70,000 people are taking to the streets, and a rally is escalating in Valencia.
The morning demonstration brought together more than 6,000 people, according to the Government Delegation
Thousands of people rallied in numerous Spanish cities on Saturday. Protesters, outraged by parliament's rejection of proposals to increase tenant protection, are demanding...
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