Protesters marched in several Spanish cities on Saturday, a day after parliament rejected two government decrees aimed at giving tenants greater protection. In Madrid, according to the organizers, around 500,000 people participated in the demonstrations, while the authorities put the figure at around 70,000. Activists have been camped for about a week in Puerta del Sol, one of the capital’s main tourist squares. Participants could be seen carrying signs that read “General Strike” and chanting slogans such as “Down with rentism.” The protest took place peacefully, under a visible police presence. The president of the CEOE employers’ association, Antonio Garamendi, says he respects the protests but warns that he will take action if a general strike is called, since he considers it “illegal.” The Tenants Union, which is coordinating the protests, says in a statement: “There is an irreparable disconnect between what people want and what the parties vote for.” The Tenants Union demands a 50% reduction in rents, indefinite contracts and the expropriation of homes to vulture funds. Its spokesperson, Valeria Racu, affirms that there is still no date for the general strike, that it is being negotiated with other organizations and that they want it to be “historic.” Tensions in Valencia and protests in the rest of the country In Valencia, protesters marched towards the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, where the Valencia Real Estate Summit 2026 real estate investment conference is being held, with former Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera among the speakers. Some protesters removed barriers and the police cordon and threw objects at officers. Police responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. Several people managed to reach the top of the building. The march had been called by four organizations, including the Tenants Union and the Housing Union. There were also demonstrations in many other cities. In San Sebastián the protest entered its second consecutive day, called by the LAB union with the support of the Tenants Union. In Cádiz, where according to the organizers the average rent is around 900 euros and the purchase of a home reaches 200,000, the march ended at the City Hall with the reading of a manifesto. There were also marches in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with more concentrations in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Tenerife. In Barcelona, Luana Rocha, a member of the squad, told ‘TVE’ that the intention is to stay indefinitely, “we are going towards a general strike.” Teruel will join in on Sunday with a demonstration at 6:30 p.m. from the Plaza del Torico. Sánchez begins a period of reflection while the parties share the blame. On Friday, Congress rejected the Government’s two housing decrees, with the votes against the PP, Vox and UPN and the refusal of Junts to support them. The first falls by 172 votes in favor compared to 178 against, and the second by 166 votes in favor compared to 184 against. Sánchez ended his speech with a warning: “History will judge you sooner than you think and more harshly than you imagine.” He now enters a period of reflection on whether to call early elections, a decision that corresponds solely to him. The opposition is calling elections again and some PSOE leaders and ministers now also believe it, according to the original report. Junts urges the PSOE to sit down and negotiate. Its spokesperson, Míriam Nogueras, described the decrees as “a poorly written law”, and its general secretary, Jordi Turull, maintains that they would have “discouraged” the sale of real estate. The PSOE responds that the texts already include Junts’ proposals: “What more do they want?” Vice President Yolanda Díaz says that responsibility for evictions “has three names”: Feijóo, Abascal and Nogueras. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, for his part, is committed to finding a legal formula so that there is no more legislature without a budget. Meanwhile, Sol’s camp reaches its seventh night, with about 2,000 people. The protests began after the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman who was transferred on a stretcher and is now recovering in the hospital. Housing advocates say an investment firm purchased the property where she lived for about seven decades and sought to increase her rent by 275 percent. After the backlash, the new owners agreed to let her return for a low rent.
