Violent scenes unfolded in Madrid today as riot police confronted hundreds of protesters attempting to prevent the eviction of an 87-year-old disabled woman. Police fired teargas and repeatedly baton-charged demonstrators to allow a judicial committee to carry out the eviction order.
The tenant, identified as Maricarmen, has 50% disability and is nearing her 88th birthday. She had lived in the apartment for 71 years, with the original contract from 1956 in her father's name. The apartment passed to her mother and then was sublet to Maricarmen in 2008.
The landlords, Urbagestión SL, successfully argued in the supreme court that the subletting was invalid and the contract was no longer valid. After a developer bought the building, Maricarmen was offered the chance to buy her apartment for €247,000 (£212,000), which was described as an impossible sum for a pensioner. Her rent was subsequently increased from €500 to €1,650 a month, while she receives a state pension of ���1,350.
Activists from the Madrid and Barcelona tenants’ union, along with celebrities, joined the protest, which was the fourth attempt to block the eviction. Despite their efforts, the eviction was executed on Wednesday morning. Maricarmen's lawyer, Beatriz Duro, stated that the owner was unwilling to negotiate.