‘This can’t go on’: tens of thousands protest against housing crisis in Spain

Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled streets across Spain on Saturday to voice mounting frustration over the country's housing affordability crisis, following the defeat of proposed government protections in parliament.

Turnout estimates varied widely, with official figures reporting 70,000 marchers while rally organisers estimated that as many as 500,000 people took part. Marches took place in 50 municipalities nationwide. While gatherings in most cities remained peaceful, unrest erupted in the southeastern city of Valencia, where security forces deployed rubber bullets and teargas against crowds. Around 30 activists briefly occupied Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences cultural complex before police removed them.

The widespread mobilisation followed a setback for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialist-led administration on Friday, when lawmakers rejected two executive decrees designed to ease housing pressures. The defeated measures sought to temporarily ban evictions until 2030 and enforce restrictions on room rentals and short-term leases. The proposals fell after opposition from the conservative People's Party, far-right Vox, and the Catalan pro-independence party Junts. Defending its stance, the People's Party argued that expanding construction is the proper remedy rather than state market regulation.

Demonstrators outside parliament responded to the vote with boos, and many participants in Saturday's rallies carried placards calling for a nationwide general strike. Public indignation had reached a tipping point late last month following the high-profile eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid residence of seven decades, after an investment firm raised her monthly rent by 230 percent.

Tenants and youth groups highlighted the burden of surging living costs in urban centres. Protesters noted that securing a single room or modest flat can consume up to half an average salary, forcing many longtime residents to reconsider whether they can afford to remain in their home cities. Valeria Racu, representing the Tenants' Union behind the marches, declared that the mobilization marked a renewed push by citizens to demand housing stability and structural reform.

The legislative defeat and ensuing street protests have thrust housing policy to the top of Spain's political agenda. According to domestic media, Prime Minister Sánchez has considered the possibility of calling an early general election for November, with his administration closely monitoring the scale and momentum of the demonstrations before determining its next move.