Protests over Spain’s housing crisis turned violent on Saturday, as demonstrators blamed tourists and holiday-home owners for driving up demand through short-term rentals and were seen hurling metal barriers at riot police.
Tens of thousands of people marched through Madrid and cities across Spain over the weekend, intensifying calls for urgent government action after opposition lawmakers blocked a package of housing measures.
Some protesters carried signs demanding a general strike, following the parliamentary rejection on Friday of proposals prompted by growing public anger over housing insecurity, including the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid.
Video from Valencia showed demonstrators moving toward riot police while carrying fences, as officers struck protesters with batons.
Protesters shouted abuse at police officers and broke through a security cordon during the confrontation.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Around 30 demonstrators entered the City of the Arts and Sciences, one of Valencia’s most recognisable cultural landmarks.
Police used tear gas and rubber bullets in an effort to disperse the crowds.
Spain’s protests over short-term rentals and the housing crisis descended into violence on Saturday, with demonstrators seen throwing barriers at riot police
Protesters confront police during a housing crisis demonstration in Valencia, Spain, on 03 October 2026
A police officer lies on the ground following a clash with protesters in Valencia, Spain
Video from Valencia captured protesters advancing toward riot police while carrying metal fences
Thousands of people marched in Madrid calling for a general strike, one day after parliament rejected government proposals that included a planned ban on evicting vulnerable tenants.
The package was defeated after lawmakers from the Catalan separatist party Junts, an occasional partner of the left-wing government, joined opposition MPs in voting against it. The party argued that the proposals could worsen the crisis by discouraging the construction and availability of homes.
The legislation would have prevented evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030, extended a two-year rent freeze for existing contracts and introduced stricter controls on short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb.
“It’s a shame,” said 26-year-old Nando de Anguulo, who attended Saturday’s protest in Madrid.
“It shows that ordinary people are expected to adjust to political parties, rather than politicians responding to what people want. This cannot continue.”
Spanish media reported on Friday that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez could call a snap election in November after the housing package failed. He was said to be monitoring the size and impact of Saturday’s demonstrations before deciding whether to act.
Sanchez’s office declined to comment on the reports.
About 1,000 people have spent the past week camping in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, a central gathering place, after María del Carmen Abascal was evicted last month from the home where she had lived for 70 years.
Spanish police personnel stand guard during a demonstration against the housing crisis in Valencia
Tensions are heightened as riot police and protestersd come face to face in Valencia
No injuries have been reported
A tear gas canister is thrown across the air as police try to disperse protesters in Valencia
Demonstrators take part in a march for housing rights in Madrid, Spain
Protesters demonstrate demanding political action to stop evictions and alleviate the housing crisis, in Madrid, Spain, October 3, 2026
FIND OUT MORE: Gypsy-Rose Blanchard Accused of Lies by Ken Urker’s Sister
Protesters attend a rally in Mallorca as a tourist enjoys her drink
Demonstrators hold a banner reading ‘General strike’ and ‘Universal housing, qualitative and free’ during a protest against evictions and high rent prices between Plaza de Espana and plaza de Cibeles in Madrid on October 3, 2026
Tens of thousands of people periodically march in major cities demanding action from lawmakers and blaming real estate speculators as well as tourist apartment platforms like Airbnb for rising rents.
But a new wave of indignation swept Spain when Abascal, who uses a wheelchair, was carried on a stretcher from her apartment after police cordoned off the street.
Televised images of the eviction prompted thousands of people to protest in Madrid and other cities across the country.
‘I haven’t managed to defend my home, but I have fought so that others can learn to fight for what’s theirs,’ Abascal said in a video recorded from a hospital bed after the eviction.
The Spanish real estate company, which had insisted on evicting her in order to rent the property at a much higher price, ended up reaching an agreement for her to return to the apartment, her lawyer said, adding that Abascal was ‘happy.’
She has yet to be discharged from the hospital.
Even with a satisfying resolution for ‘Maricarmen,’ as Abascal is now widely known, she remains the embodiment of the struggle against suffocating rental costs.
Protesters have carried signs with slogans such as ‘Not even one more Maricarmen!’ and demonstrations have been cropping up in cities across the country.
he eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her rental home after 70 years on 23 September 2026 prompted people across the country to take to the streets against the ongoing housing crisis
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez might call a snap election for November after the legislation failed to pass
e government failed on 02 October in its attempt to pass its proposed emergency housing decrees in the Lower Chamber of the Spanish Parliament
Protesters participate in a demonstration calling on the authorities to address the ongoing housing problems, in Madrid
Riot police stand guard during protests in Valencia
Protesters march through Madrid during a protest on Saturday
A cop stands guard during a demonstration in Valencia
Police swing their batons at protesters in Valencia
The protesters say they won’t leave until the government takes real steps to protect tenants.
A similar encampment has cropped up in Barcelona’s Plaza Catalunya.
The housing crunch has been simmering for years in Spain, eating into household budgets and angering voters.
While many countries have similar circumstances, Spain’s poorest and its young are being particularly impacted, because they can’t afford to purchase a home and are being squeezed by the country’s small stock of rental properties.
The average rent for Spain has almost doubled in the last 10 years.
The price per square meter has risen from 8.20 euros in 2016 to 15.10 euros this year, according to the real estate website Idealista.
Spain’s government said that 26 per cent of Spaniards who rent housing spend an average of 40 per cent of their income on rent and utilities, compared with the European Union average of 18 per cent of renters who do so.
Spain ranks near the bottom among countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development for government-owned rental properties, which represent less than 2 per cent of its available stock. The EU average is 8 per cent.
