MADRID — Thousands of protesters marched across Spain on Saturday demanding stronger tenant protections after parliament rejected emergency housing decrees on Friday, the BBC and Deutsche Welle reported.
About 50 demonstrations were planned in cities including Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. In Valencia, some protesters clashed with police near a real-estate summit; Spanish media said officers used rubber bullets after barriers were removed and objects thrown. Demonstrators have camped for days in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol. The wave of unrest followed last month’s eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal after a sharp rent increase — a case later reversed by the building’s owners after it became a national flashpoint.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s minority leftist coalition failed to pass two decrees. One, framed as limiting evictions of vulnerable tenants and curbing speculative purchases, lost 178–172; a second on automatic lease renewals fell 184–166. Catalonia’s Junts party joined the opposition. Sánchez urged lawmakers to “do the right thing, or history will judge you,” as speculation grew about an early election.
Madrid’s Tenants’ Union said rejection “exacerbates the housing crisis” and called for a general strike. Opponents argued the packages could shrink rental supply.
Sources: BBC News, Deutsche Welle
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