General
Camping Protest in Madrid Heart Demands End to Housing Market Madness
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Thousands of demonstrators have established a camping site at Madrid's Puerta del Sol square to protest the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, whose home was purchased by an investment firm that raised her rent. The protesters demand government intervention, including a rent freeze, to treat housing as a basic need rather than an investment vehicle. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez plans to submit a decree to parliament on Tuesday, though securing a majority for his minority government remains difficult due to conflicting demands from coalition partners and separatist parties. The unrest stems from rising housing costs that outpace salaries, exacerbated by Abascal’s recent forced departure after living in her apartment for seventy years.
Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's