Protests, debate follow death of Maricarmen, 87, Spain protest symbol

Thousands of protestors honor Maricarmen Abascal’s life, while tributes within parliament spark debate.Published On 9 Oct 20269 Oct 2026Thousands of Spaniards protested outside Spain’s parliament after the death of Maria del Carmen Abascal, the 87-year-old woman whose eviction ignited nationwide protests and sparked a snap general election.Meanwhile, tributes to Abascal were debated within the legislature as lawmakers accused each other of exploiting the case ahead of the election.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Photos: Protests erupt after 87-year-old evicted woman dies in Madridlist 2 of 3Maricarmen dies at 87 after eviction sparked Spain housing protestslist 3 of 3Spain’s Sanchez announces snap election amid pressure over housing crisisend of listMaricarmen Abascal died on Wednesday after being hospitalised for severe anxiety and exhaustion since her eviction on a stretcher from her Madrid home on September 23.While in the hospital, she reached a deal to return to her home but died before she could return. No cause of death has been announced.‘Killing someone’“They killed her through heartbreak,” Diana, a demonstrator, told Al Jazeera. “Taking an 87-year-old woman ...