Spain's Housing Protests Enter Third Night in Madrid, Pressure Mounts on Government

Protesters angered by Spain's chronic housing crisis and the eviction of an elderly pensioner camped in central Madrid for a third consecutive night on Monday, maintaining pressure on the government ahead of a key cabinet meeting, according to a report from France 24.

In Barcelona, which has seen repeated demonstrations in recent years linking housing costs to overtourism, around 2,000 protesters gathered on Monday night to demand ambitious measures during a visit by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the report said.

The demonstrations follow the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid home last week, an incident that has become a flashpoint for broader anger over unaffordable housing across Spain, according to the report.

France 24's report did not detail the specific measures protesters in Barcelona are demanding or say whether the government had responded directly to the Barcelona demonstration.

The report did not specify the agenda of the upcoming cabinet meeting referenced, beyond noting that it was expected to address the housing crisis.