The protests were sparked in part by the attempted eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid apartment, where she had lived for more than seven decades.

Although corporate landlord Urbagestion halted the eviction following public pressure, the case became a focal point for anger over the vulnerability of long-term tenants.

The Confederation of Tenant Unions organized coordinated demonstrations in 22 localities, with protesters staging “casserole” protests outside municipal buildings and setting up camps in central squares.

In Madrid, activists have established a permanent camp in Puerta del Sol, while demonstrations have also taken place in Barcelona, Cordoba and Valencia.

Protesters are demanding permanent tenant protections, rather than temporary eviction moratoriums, and are calling for measures against what they describe as speculative activity by corporate property owners.

Meanwhile, parliament is scheduled to vote Friday on two royal decrees proposed by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government to address the housing crisis.

The measures would restrict evictions of tenants classified as financially vulnerable, require the automatic renewal of certain rental contracts and prevent companies operating for explicitly “speculative” purposes from participating in the residential property market until the end of 2028.

The proposals face strong opposition from the conservative Popular Party (PP), which has argued that the measures interfere with the free market and could further reduce housing supply.

The government also faces uncertainty over support from regional parties, with the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) indicating divided support and Catalan party Junts yet to announce its final position.

The parliamentary dispute comes as Spain faces a significant housing supply shortage.

Recent estimates by the Bank of Spain put the national deficit at about 550,000 homes, while the expansion of short-term tourist rentals and international real estate investment has further reduced the availability of housing for local residents.

Rents in major Spanish municipalities have nearly doubled over the past decade, while limited public housing construction has left most residents dependent on an increasingly expensive private rental market.

The crisis has particularly affected younger adults, many of whom say high housing costs are delaying financial independence, family formation and workforce mobility.