Madrid: the eviction of Maricarmen, 87, mobilizes thousands

Estimates of participation vary widely. The central government delegation in Madrid reported 25,000 demonstrators, while organizers claimed 300,000, according to the EFE agency. From the hospital, Maricarmen sent a message calling for a change in the law to prevent other elderly tenants from facing the same situation.

Rent increased to 2,650 euros

The eviction was carried out on Wednesday, September 23, during the fourth attempt. Images released by Reuters show the tenant being evacuated on a stretcher, while police held back supporters who had come to assist her.

According to El País, the landlord had initially sought to raise her monthly rent from 500 to 2,650 euros, before demanding 1,650 euros. Maricarmen’s pension amounts to 1,350 euros per month. The tenant had won her case in the first instance, but this decision was later overturned on appeal, and her appeal to the Supreme Court was unsuccessful.

The case was already known to Madrid’s institutions. An official report from the city council noted as early as October 2025 Maricarmen’s long-standing residency in the apartment and the mobilization of her neighborhood to prevent her eviction.

After Saturday’s march, organizers called for a camp to be set up at Puerta del Sol. Their immediate demand focuses on increased protection for vulnerable tenants against rent hikes and evictions.