Hundreds Occupy Madrid’s Puerta del Sol to Protest Housing Crisis

Hundreds of protesters began camping in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol on September 26, 2026, to demand government intervention in Spain’s housing crisis. The demonstration, which followed a mass march, highlights growing public frustration over surging rents and the recent eviction of an 87-year-old resident, as the government prepares new housing legislation.

Puerta del Sol Encampment and Public Demands

Following a large-scale march through Madrid on Saturday, September 26, hundreds of demonstrators established a makeshift camp in the Puerta del Sol, with Al Jazeera reporting that hundreds of protesters set up tent encampments in central Madrid as demonstrations also spread to Barcelona. By Sunday morning, estimates of the encampment’s size varied, with reports noting approximately 100 to 150 tents occupying a significant portion of the plaza directly across from the regional government headquarters.

Participants, ranging from young people to older activists, have vowed to remain on-site to pressure the government. Sergio, a 28-year-old NGO worker who spent the night in a white tent alongside two other people, stated they would stay as long as necessary after experiencing a quiet night filled with lively conversations and mutual optimism. The movement draws direct parallels to the 2011 Indignados protests, which occupied the same plaza for three weeks during the economic downturn following the 2008 financial crisis.

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The Eviction of Maricarmen Abascal

The current wave of mobilization was ignited by the removal of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid apartment on Wednesday, September 23. Police forced entry into the home she had occupied for 70 years after a real estate firm purchased the building and increased the rent by 275 percent, raising the cost to 2.650 euros, according to the Sindicato de Inquilinas e Inquilinos de Madrid. The incident, captured on video, has turned Abascal into a national symbol of the housing emergency.

«Que lo que me ha pasado a mí sirva para que no le pase a otras personas, quiero que sirva para que la gente luche y para que se cambien las leyes que han permitido mi desahucio»

Maricarmen Abascal

Abascal, who has been receiving hospital treatment for suffocation since the eviction, issued a public plea for citizens to join the fight for legislative reform. Her case has galvanized the Sindicato de Inquilinas e Inquilinos de Madrid, which declared on X: No aguantamos más. O cae el rentismo, o cae el gobierno.

Photo: nmas.com.mx

Legislative Response and the “Decreto Maricarmen”

The protests arrive at a critical juncture for the administration of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Facing intense pressure to address a housing deficit that Al Jazeera reported currently stands at 750,000 homes—with the central bank warning the shortage could exceed one million by 2028—the government is expected to introduce a package of measures dubbed the decreto Maricarmen during the upcoming Council of Ministers meeting. The proposed legislation aims to implement automatic rental contract renewals and stricter limitations on evictions.

Despite these plans, the path to enactment remains uncertain. The government currently lacks a parliamentary majority, making the approval of these housing protections a significant political hurdle. As demonstrators plan to maintain their presence at least until Tuesday, when the decree is scheduled for discussion, the tension between public demand for market regulation and legislative capacity continues to mount.

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Housing Costs and National Shortages

Economic data highlights the scale of the crisis fueling the demonstrations. Over the last decade, the average price of rental property per square meter in Spain has doubled, reaching 15.1 euros in August. Purchase prices have seen a similar trajectory, rising by more than 50 percent in the same period according to official data. With central bank warnings regarding the widening gap between housing supply and demand, protesters and organizers are increasingly framing housing as a fundamental necessity rather than a market asset.

La vibra, o lo que parece, es que la gente no se va a mover hasta que no algo cambie de una vez por todas y para siempre, stated Maria Juárez, a 47-year-old psychologist participating in the encampment.