Elderly woman's eviction fuels massive Madrid protests led by tenant union tied to minister

An 87-year-old resident named Maricarmen was evicted from her long-standing Madrid home, rescued by police and taken to Hospital Gregorio Marañón, where she posted a video urging continued activism. The eviction sparked a coordinated response from the Sindicato de Inquilinas, an organisation closely associated with Minister of Consumption Pablo Bustinduy, which arranged for about 300 people to spend the night in the building to block the removal.

A subsequent demonstration on Saturday attracted between 25,000 and 300,000 participants, according to official and organizer estimates, and ended with a large encampment at Puerta del Sol demanding the “decreto Maricarmen.” The union operates through annual assemblies, bimonthly plenaries, and a coordination group linking neighbourhood nodes and sector-specific sections such as Sareb, Nestar/Azora and Blackstone. Its funding comes chiefly from member dues, with a portion earmarked for legal defence and staff salaries. Researchers linked to the union have supplied the Ministry of Rights Social, Consumption and Agenda 2030 with reports highlighting that over 60% of the rental market is controlled by multi-landlords, a finding the ministry has used to justify tighter regulation.