‘Please fight’: How an elderly woman’s eviction put Spain’s housing crisis in the spotlight

If there’s one name on people’s lips in Spain this week it’s Maricarmen. The eviction of the 87-year-old from her home has sparked a huge wave of spontaneous solidarity in various cities and drawn attention to one of the most pressing problems facing the country: access to housing. Tens of thousands marched through Madrid on Saturday to protest Maricarmen’s eviction. Some demonstrators camped overnight in Puerta del Sol, where more people, including families of several generations, joined them Sunday, according to the Associated Press. Protesters are demanding stronger tenant protections and a ban on evictions when no other housing is available nearby. María del Carmen Abascal, known by her nickname Maricarmen, is a resident of Madrid’s El Retiro neighborhood who, until last Wednesday, lived in an apartment on Alcalde Sainz de Baranda Street.