Tens of thousands of people have protested across Spain, including in Madrid and more than 50 other cities, demanding action to address a mounting housing crisis, according to The Guardian and the BBC. The demonstrations on Saturday, October 3, 2026, followed the rejection of new government legislation aimed at tackling housing issues.

The protests intensified after measures designed to address public anger over housing concerns, including the recent eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid, were rejected in parliament on Friday, The Guardian reported. Demonstrators on Saturday waved posters calling for a general strike.

Protest Figures and Incidents

Authorities estimated that 70,000 people participated in the protests, while organizers claimed the figure was 500,000, according to The Guardian.

While protests were largely peaceful in 50 Spanish cities, some clashes occurred. In the south-eastern city of Valencia, demonstrators confronted police, who reportedly fired rubber bullets and teargas to disperse the crowds, The Guardian stated. Approximately 30 individuals managed to enter the City of Arts and Sciences, a prominent cultural building in Valencia, before being removed by police.

In Madrid, groups of far-right protesters, some performing Nazi salutes, attempted to approach a protest camp but were blocked by police. The Spanish daily El País reported that police chased some members of this group through the streets and made three arrests, according to The Guardian.

Voices from the Protests

Protesters voiced their frustrations over the housing situation and the political response.

“It’s a shame,” Nando de Anguulo, 26, who joined the protest in Madrid, told Reuters, according to The Guardian. “It only proves that it is us, the people, who have to adapt to the political parties, and not the politicians to what the people want, and this can’t go on like that.”

Marcos Sainz, 26, a librarian protesting in Madrid, told AFP that he used to rent a two-bedroom apartment with friends for 900 euros ($1,000) per month. He noted that a one-bedroom flat now often costs 1,000 euros, which he stated is half the median monthly salary in the capital. He said he would protest rental spikes "until someone dares to regulate it all, as (otherwise) we’ll all have to leave Madrid and that would be a shame as I am from Madrid," The Guardian reported.

Javier, 31, a solar panel installer, emphasized the demand for basic rights.

“We are demanding a fundamental right: decent housing, stability and conditions allowing us to construct a decent life project,” Javier said, according to The Guardian. He added, “I spend half of my salary on a tiny room.”

Valeria Racu, a spokesperson for the Tenants’ Union, which organized the protest, described a renewed energy among demonstrators.

“What we are feeling in the streets is a new energy that we haven’t seen in a long time, an energy that is showing that eight days of people power can achieve more than eight years of progressive government,” Racu said in a statement, as reported by The Guardian. She added, “Now begins real politics – politics which has always belonged to the people and which will return once and for all to the streets.”

Legislative Rejection and Background

The protests were sparked by the parliamentary rejection of two decrees proposed by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist-led coalition on Friday, The Guardian reported. These decrees included a range of measures aimed at improving access to housing, such as a ban on evictions until 2030 and the regulation of temporary lettings and lettings by room.

The conservative People’s party, the far-right Vox, and the Catalan pro-independence party Junts voted against both decrees. The People's party stated that its vote was consistent with its belief that building, rather than regulating, is the most effective approach to the housing crisis. Lawmaker Juan Bravo of the People's party was quoted by The Guardian saying, “Housing doesn’t become more affordable through decrees; it becomes more affordable by building more homes.”

News of the legislative package's rejection was met with boos and shouts of "shame" from protesters outside parliament, who chanted, "Your profits, our misery," according to The Guardian.

The anger over rising housing costs had been escalating and reportedly boiled over late last month with the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid. Abascal, who uses a wheelchair, was evicted from the home she had lived in for 70 years. The Guardian reported that she stated she could not afford a 230% rent increase demanded by the investment fund that had purchased her apartment.

Political Implications

The demonstrations have dominated national conversation, with The Guardian reporting that they are "breathing new life" into Prime Minister Sánchez’s government and shifting attention away from recent events in Ceuta.

Spanish media reported on Friday that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez might consider calling a snap election for November following the failure of the housing legislation to pass. The Guardian noted that he would likely be observing the scale of Saturday’s protests before making a decision.