'Anger in the streets': Tens of thousands protest in Spain over housing crisis

Legenda da figura, Grande protesto na Espanha enquanto milhões lutam para encontrar uma casa acessível.

• Spanish PM Sánchez loses key housing crisis vote after eviction of woman, 87Published1 day ago.
• Demolição dramática de mulher de 87 anos destaca escassez de moradias na EspanhaPublicado 23 de setembro.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across Spain calling for greater protections for tenants after the government failed to get emergency housing legislation through parliament on Friday.

About 50 planned marches are taking place on Saturday in cities including Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona.

There is a lot of anger in the streets," said a spokesperson for the Valencia Tenants' Union, where a demonstration has already started. Clashes have taken place between some protesters and police in the city.

As medidas apresentadas pelo governo de coalizão de esquerda de Pedro Sánchez na sexta-feira seguiram o clamor público sobre a expulsão de uma mulher de 87 anos de sua casa no mês passado, após ela não conseguir arcar com um aumento de aluguel acentuado.

Her eviction triggered nationwide protests across Spain with protesters demanding lower rents, an end to evictions, and a ban on investment funds - or "vulture funds" as the government has termed them - buying property.

A derrota de Sanchez no Congresso na sexta‑feira aumenta a especulação de que ele possa convocar uma eleição geral antecipada, que não estava prevista para o próximo verão.

His coalition government, made up of his ruling Socialist party and junior partner the Sumar alliance, does not command a majority in parliament.

Fotografias mostraram manifestantes na cidade litorânea de Valência em confronto com policiais no sábado perto do centro de artes Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, que estava sediando uma cúpula imobiliária.

Several protesters removed barriers and threw objects at officers, who responded with rubber bullets, Spanish media reported. Public broadcaster RTVE said nine police officers were injured and five people were arrested.

Image source, EPAImage caption, Tens of thousands took to the streets of Madrid to protest.

Image source, EPA/ShuttershockImage caption, Tensions arose between some protesters and police officers in Valencia.

Uma das maiores manifestações da história está em pleno vigor na capital, Madrid. As estimativas do número de participantes variaram amplamente, com o Sindicato dos Inquilinos da cidade colocando o número em 500.

000, enquanto os funcionários do governo colocaram a cifra em 70. 000.

Demonstrators have been camping in one of the city's main squares, Puerta del Sol, for days.

One protester, David, told RTVE ahead of the protest: "We're not here for pleasure or comfort. We're here out of conviction.

Another protester, 26-year-old librarian Marcos Sainz, told AFP news agency that he used to share a two-bedroom flat with friends, paying 900 euros (£766) a month in rent.

Hoje, ele disse que um apartamento de um quarto costuma custar 1. 000 euros.

Sainz said he would protest against rent rises "until someone dares to regulate it all", or "we'll all have to leave Madrid.

Na noite de sexta-feira, o Madrid's Tenants' Union disse que, embora as medidas propostas pelo governo fossem insuficientes, a rejeição da legislação proposta “exacerba a crise habitacional que está custando a vida da classe trabalhadora”.

It is calling for a general strike over the housing crisis.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, An encampment has been set up for days by protesters at Puerta del Sol in Madrid.

Image source, EPA/ShutterstockImage caption, Madrid is expected to be the site of the largest protests this weekend.

The legislation put forward in Congress on Friday was divided into two separate decrees.

O primeiro decreto incluiu a suspensão de despejos de inquilinos vulneráveis até 2030, uma extensão de dois anos aos contratos de locação que venceriam antes de 2028, aumentos de impostos para apartamentos turísticos e uma restrição à compra de imóveis residenciais por chamados “vulture funds”.

The second decree included the automatic renewal of rental contracts, a major demand of many on the left and the Tenants' Union.

Os MPs rejeitaram o primeiro decreto por 178 votos a 172 e votaram contra o segundo por 184 a 166.

Prior to the vote, the conservative People's Party (PP) and far-right Vox had already said they would vote against both initiatives, leaving the minority government depending on the support of smaller nationalist parties in Catalonia and the Basque Country.

However, by the eve of the parliamentary session, the centre-right, pro-independence Together for Catalonia (JxCat) had signalled its opposition to both laws, condemning them to failure.

Sánchez's ruling coalition hurriedly drew up the decree laws in an effort to defuse the housing protests that were sparked when 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal was evicted in September.

The social backlash led to the company that owns Abascal's flat, Urbagestión, negotiating her return to the flat on a low rent. However, protests have continued.

The Bank of Spain estimates the country is short of 700,000 homes, based on the gap between demand and new construction.

Os preços das casas subiram 12. 2% no último ano, de acordo com dados do segundo trimestre de 2026 do Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE).

The shortage in rental housing means that costs rose by 8. 5% in 2025, according to real estate firm Idealista, with Madrid alone seeing an increase of 9. 7% in rents.

It said Barcelona and Madrid were Spain's most expensive cities to rent a home, at €23. 80 per square metre and €22. 70 per square metre respectively.