Fresh protests hit Spain after housing measures defeated
Tens of thousands marched after lawmakers rejected tenant protections, as organizers called for action on evictions and rents that have nearly doubled in a decade.
- 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.
248 Articles
248 Articles
Tens of thousands of people took part in the demonstrations after Parliament rejected two measures against real estate speculation
<p>In Spain, tens of thousands of people protested due to the housing crisis, clashes broke out in Madrid and Valencia Protests covered about 50 cities in Spain, 70 thousand people gathered in Madrid. There were clashes with police in the capital and Valencia.</p>
At this point in history, no one escapes the fact that President Pedro Sánchez has a very high opinion of himself.
‘Anger in streets’: Tens of thousands protest in Spain over housing crisis
MADRID - Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across Spain calling for greater protections for tenants after the government failed to get emergency housing legislation through parliament on Friday.
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"
In Spain, because of housing shortages in the country, tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets.
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