Spanish woman whose eviction sparked housing protests dies at 87 as crowds chant ‘murder’

Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old Spanish woman whose eviction from her home of 70 years became a catalyst for nationwide housing protests, died on October 7, 2026. Following her removal by stretcher on September 23, Abascal was hospitalized for exhaustion and anxiety. Her case, alongside the failure of recent housing legislation, prompted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call for early elections on November 29. While the landlord eventually offered a new lease agreement, Abascal died before she could sign it. Her death has sparked renewed demonstrations in Madrid and Barcelona, with labor unions calling for a general strike on November 11.

Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old Spanish woman whose eviction from her home of 70 years became a catalyst for nationwide housing protests, died on October 7, 2026. Following her removal by stretcher on September 23, Abascal was hospitalized for exhaustion and anxiety. Her case, alongside the failure of recent housing legislation, prompted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call for early elections on November 29. While the landlord eventually offered a new lease agreement, Abascal died before she could sign it. Her death has sparked renewed demonstrations in Madrid and Barcelona, with labor unions calling for a general strike on November 11.