A crowd of demonstrators gathered in Madrid on Saturday, September 26, 2026, demanding housing reforms and stricter rent controls following the eviction of an 87-year-old resident. The march, organized by the Sindicato de Inquilinas de Madrid, started at 18:30 hours at the Puerta del Sol and proceeded toward the Congress of Diputados under the banner “Ni una Maricarmen más.”
Thousands March in Madrid Under ‘Ni Una Maricarmen Más’ Slogan Following Eviction
The Catalyst: The Eviction of Maricarmen Abascal
The protests were sparked by the recent eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, who was forced out of her home in the Retiro district on Wednesday after living there for more than 70 years. Alicia del Río, a spokesperson for the Sindicato de Inquilinas de Madrid, said that Abascal’s displacement marked “a point of no return” in the ongoing struggle for affordable housing in Madrid.
Demands and the Proposed ‘Real Decreto Maricarmen’
Demonstrators and organizers are pressing both the central government and the regional administration of the Comunidad de Madrid to enact immediate legislative protections. The Sindicato de Inquilinas has called on the Council of Ministers to approve a package of measures dubbed the “Real Decreto Maricarmen” on Tuesday. The proposed decree outlines core requirements:
- The automatic renewal and conversion of current rental agreements into indefinite contracts.
- A freeze on rental prices.
- Stricter regulations to curb the fraudulent use of seasonal and room-by-room rental contracts.
- A moratorium preventing the eviction of tenants who lack alternative housing solutions.
Route and Political Protests Across the Capital
The mobilization moved from the Puerta del Sol—passing the regional government headquarters—down Calle Alcalá toward Cibeles, home to the Madrid City Council. From there, the march continued along the Paseo del Prado to Plaza de Neptuno before heading up Plaza de Las Cortes to finish in front of the Congress of Deputies.
Along the route, participants voiced strong criticism against regional and national political figures. Crowds chanted slogans directed at Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso and Madrid mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida, while also questioning the actions of Pedro Sánchez’s national administration. Demonstrators waved their apartment keys in the air and chanted anti-landlord slogans targeting private real estate firms such as Urbagestión, whose owners were featured on placards carried at the front of the march.