Fresh protests hit Spain after housing measures defeated
Tens of thousands marched as the rejected measures would have renewed rental contracts and restricted evictions of vulnerable tenants, officials said.
- 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.
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296 Articles
LancasterOnline
El Vocero de Puerto RicoMADRID (AP) — Tens of thousands of protesters have been out on the streets of several cities in Spain for days to demand help for tenants, after legislators rejected a package of targeted emergency measures...
The Bakersfield Californian
The Daily AdvanceWhat to know about Spain's housing protests sparked by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman
MADRID, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of various cities in Spain to demand help for renters, after lawmakers rejected a package of emergency measures aimed at tackling the nation’s housing affordability crisis.
Thousands of people took to the streets of Spanish cities on Saturday to protest against parliament's rejection of changes to increase tenant protections. Demonstrators demanded the right to housing and called for a general strike.
In Spain, tens of thousands of people demonstrated against housing shortages on weekends, after decrees by the left-wing government against the housing crisis had failed due to the opposition of the right-wing conservatives in parliament. On Saturday alone in the capital city of Madrid, 70,000 people participated in the demonstrations, the organizers spoke of 500,000. There were protests in several other cities too. In Madrid, several marches mo…
Madrid. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of 50 cities of Spain yesterday to demand solutions to the serious housing crisis and among their demands stood out four: the call for a general strike by the majority unions, the reduction of 50 percent of housing income, the expropriation of properties to vulture funds and the urgent approval of indefinite contracts in rent.
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