An elderly woman whose eviction sparked nationwide protests over Spain’s housing crisis and a political dispute that triggered early elections has died, according to Madrid’s tenants union. Maricarmen Abascal, 87, was forcibly taken on a stretcher from her 70-plus apartment on September 23 after she was unable to pay rent increases. The company that owned the flat later offered to allow her to return at a lower price, but she was unable to sign an agreement because she had been admitted to hospital. “We regret to announce that Maricarmen has died today,” the Madrid Tenants Union said in a statement, adding that her situation marks “a turning point in the history of this country.” The union’s spokesperson, Alicia del Río, stated: “Speculation costs lives, and today rentism has finished killing our colleague Maricarmen,” but “her memory is still alive with us.” unannounced. Abascal’s death was greeted at Puerta del Sol with a great collective gasp, then followed by a minute of silence. It is in this square in the center of Madrid where thousands have been camping since Abascal’s eviction last month to demand more affordable housing. On Wednesday, it became the place to pay tribute to him. People lit dozens of candles around the square in a small, impromptu vigil that shone warm light on a dry, warm fall night. Other candles formed an altar to Abascal in front of the headquarters of the government of the Community of Madrid. Next to the candles, cardboard signs with messages said “it is not a death, it is a murder”, “the fight will continue” and “Mari Carmen, the grandmother of the entire country”, among others. A few hundred people then took to the streets connecting Puerta del Sol with the Spanish Congress, just 500 meters away, in an impromptu protest. During the march, people chanted: “We will not tolerate a single more eviction” and “The fight will continue, Mari Carmen is still alive.” There were other chants against fascism and against the police. The police had set up barriers to block the march. There was not a large police presence and there was the tension that protests sometimes have. Many protesters seemed to feel that the police had been complicit in the evictions, as they are required by court order to evict tenants who have been served with eviction notices. After a couple of hours, the chants near Congress gave way to another minute of silence. Then, a great collective cry of “murderers.” Wednesday night’s march has ended, but the encampment, now in its twelfth night, will continue “as long as necessary,” one of the protesters told the BBC.
