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Timeline of the Maricarmen case: From four eviction attempts to a housing movement that shook Spain

8 October 2026 at 10:04

Maricarmen Abascal faced four eviction attempts, and the last one succeeded. It happened two weeks ago. The 87-year-old woman left her Retiro home in a wheelchair; she had lived there for almost her entire life. Once outside, she was helped onto a stretcher and taken to Gregorio Marañón Hospital. She died there on Wednesday.

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Maricarmen, on October 29, 2025, after one of the eviction attempts.

Vigil at Puerta del Sol over Maricarmen’s death, this Wednesday.

Timeline of the Maricarmen case — Procession organized by the Tenants’ Union to denounce Maricarmen's eviction, on June 2.

Maricarmen, elderly woman evicted from home in Spain, becomes a global symbol for housing activists

El País - English

By: Beatriz Olaizola · Lucía Franco

28 September 2026 at 11:32

Nadz Vogel, an activist with the London Renters’ Union, at the Puerta del Sol encampment on September 27, 2026.

They came to Madrid to counterprogram one of Europe’s largest real estate fairs, The District. What they found was an 87-year-old woman who was about to be evicted from their home — and was, before their eyes. Around 200 housing activists from more than 20 countries across Europe decided to join the demonstrations against the eviction, and later joined a spontaneous encampment in front of the Madrid regional government headquarters at the historic Puerta del Sol plaza.

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Members from different countries of the European Action Coalition for the Right to Housing and the City hold an assembly at Puerta del Sol.

Teresa Mamede, of the Lisbon Renters’ Union, at the Puerta del Sol encampment on September 27, 2026.

Ronja Senkpiel, urban geographer and German researcher specializing in urban development, at the Puerta del Sol encampment on September 26, 2026.