An 87-year-old disabled woman, Maricarmen Abascal, has been forcibly evicted from her Madrid apartment of 71 years following a legal battle with a real estate investment firm. The eviction sparked violent protests, with hundreds of demonstrators clashing with riot police outside her building on Wednesday. This case has ignited widespread fury in Spain and drawn criticism from human rights organisations, highlighting the country's acute housing crisis and the growing power of property speculators.

The investment firm that acquired Abascal's apartment increased her monthly rent by 275 per cent to €2,650, though supporters maintain she had always paid her bills. Despite a legal battle that reached Spain's Supreme Court, which ruled in favour of the firm, she was given just 30 minutes to collect her belongings before being carried from the building on a stretcher. Amnesty International condemned the eviction as a "violation of human rights," whilst Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez blamed the conservative-run Madrid region for enabling speculative practices. The case exemplifies broader housing affordability challenges across Spain, where rents have soared as supply falls short of demand, with critics also pointing to short-term tourist rentals such as Airbnb as a contributing factor.