An elderly woman whose eviction sparked nationwide protests over Spain’s housing crisis and a political row that triggered early elections has died, according to Madrid’s tenants union.
Maricarmen Abascal, 87, was forcibly removed on a stretcher from her apartment of more than 70 years on 23 September after she was unable to afford rent increases.
The company that owned the flat later offered to allow her to return at a lower rate – but she was unable to sign an agreement as she had been admitted to hospital.
“We regret to announce that Maricarmen passed away today,” the Madrid Tenants’ Union said in a statement, adding her situation marked “a turning point in the history of this country”.
Union spokesperson Alicia del Río said: “Speculation costs lives, and today rentierism has finished killing our colleague Maricarmen” but “her memory lives on with us”.
A cause of death was not announced.
Abascal’s death was received in Puerta del Sol – a square in Madrid where thousands have been camping since Abascal’s eviction last month to demand more affordable housing – with a collective gasp followed by a minute of silence.
Dozens of candles were lit around the square while more candles formed an altar to Abascal in front of the headquarters of the Community of Madrid government.
Messages on cardboard banners read “it’s not a death, it’s a killing”, “the fight will continue” and “Mari Carmen, the grandmother of the whole country”, among others.
A few hundred people then marched from Puerta del Sol to the Spanish Congress, chanting “We will not tolerate a single eviction more” and “the fight will continue, Mari Carmen is still alive”. There were other chants against fascism and against the police.
Many protesters seemed to feel the police have been complicit in the evictions, as under court orders they have to remove tenants who have been served eviction notices.
After a couple of hours, the chants near Congress gave way to another minute of silence. Then, a big collective shout of “murderers”.
One protester told the BBC that people would remain in the square “as long as necessary”.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
