87-Year-Old Maricarmen Abascal, Evicted in Spain, Has Died Amid Housing Protests
Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman whose eviction triggered significant housing protests in Spain, has passed away, according to Madrid’s tenants’ union. Her removal from her long-term residence on September 23 led to mass demonstrations that reportedly prompted the Prime Minister to call an early election.
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Based on reporting by South China Morning Post:
Madrid’s tenants’ union reported on Wednesday that Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old woman whose dramatic eviction last month initiated widespread housing demonstrations in Spain, has died. These protests, which reportedly led to the Prime Minister calling an early election, have caused significant grief and anger in the capital.
Abascal had been hospitalized since her eviction on September 23, at which time police and social workers removed her from her residence, where she had lived for over 70 years.
Since the eviction, demonstrations have featured activists setting up camps in one of Madrid’s primary squares, alongside demands for action regarding a worsening housing crisis, which includes rising rents and a shortage of available homes.
Subsequent to the announcement of Abascal’s death, thousands of people marched from Puerta del Sol toward parliament, voicing their dissent with chants such as, “This is not a death. It’s a murder!” The cause of death has not been announced.
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