Mass protests erupt in Spain after housing reform bills rejected
Hundreds of thousands demonstrated in Madrid and dozens of cities demanding affordable housing after parliament rejected two emergency tenancy bills.
Around 70,000 police estimates and up to 500,000 organizers' claims say tens of thousands gathered in Madrid on Saturday to call for affordable housing, following the parliament's narrow rejection of two emergency bills aimed at protecting renters. The measures, proposed by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, would have automatically renewed tenancy contracts and limited evictions of vulnerable tenants, but were voted down by opposition parties.
The demonstrations are part of a week-long wave of actions sparked by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in the capital. Valeria Racu, a spokesperson for the Tenants' Union that organized the protest, said the streets showed a new energy, noting that eight days of public action had achieved more than years of government policy.
Protesters in Madrid voiced demands for what they described as a fundamental right to decent housing and stability. In Valencia, police deployed tear gas and rubber bullets as demonstrators entered the City of Arts and Sciences complex before being dispersed.
The defeat of the housing bills has led to speculation that Sánchez could call a snap election in November, though his office declined to comment on the possibility.