Several hundred people gathered in Vara de Rey in Ibiza on Sunday, September 27, for a demonstration organised by the Sindicato de Inquilinas de Ibiza y Formentera in solidarity with Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old Madrid resident whose eviction has triggered protests across Spain.

The demonstration, which began at 18:00, also focused on housing affordability in Ibiza and the difficulties faced by residents and workers trying to secure or maintain long-term accommodation on the island.

Protest linked to Maricarmen case

Maricarmen Abascal was evicted from her home in Madrid's Retiro district on September 23 after living in the property for 71 years.

Her case has become the focus of wider demonstrations over evictions, rental contracts and housing protection. In Ibiza, the tenants' union used the case to highlight what it says are similar difficulties affecting people who live and work on the island.

The organisation argued that Maricarmen's situation should not be viewed as an isolated case and called for measures designed to provide greater security for tenants.

Attendance estimates varied

The size of Sunday's gathering was reported differently across coverage of the event, with estimates ranging from roughly 150 to 300 people.

The demonstration took place along Vara de Rey and included speeches, chants and the reading of a manifesto outlining the organisers' housing demands.

Tenants' union sets out demands

The Sindicato de Inquilinas de Ibiza y Formentera called for structural measures to prevent evictions and greater protection for tenants.

Among its demands were changes to the Spanish Urban Lease Act to address seasonal and room-by-room rentals, a freeze on current rental prices, effective extensions of rental contracts and automatic renewal mechanisms that would provide greater long-term stability.

These are proposals put forward by the tenants' organisation and do not represent measures currently in force.

Focus on Ibiza's housing market

The demonstration also turned attention to the cost of buying and renting property in Ibiza.

Organisers and participants said that high housing costs are making it increasingly difficult for some residents and workers to establish a long-term life on the island.

During the gathering, figures were cited for properties in Ibiza that can reach hundreds of thousands of euros even when they require renovation. Those figures were presented as part of the organisers' argument about affordability rather than as an official island-wide average.

Wider debate over evictions and rents

The Ibiza protest formed part of a broader series of demonstrations connected with the Maricarmen case and the wider debate over housing in Spain.

The case has brought renewed attention to the security of long-term rental arrangements, the treatment of tenants facing eviction and the availability of affordable housing.

The tenants' movement has also promoted a proposed package of measures under the name "Decreto Maricarmen". That proposal is separate from the housing legislation being prepared by the Spanish Government.

Government housing measures remain a separate process

The Spanish Government has been working on its own housing measures, including proposals concerning rental contracts and housing affordability.

As of Sunday, September 27, the Government's proposed decree had not been approved or published as a new law. Reports indicated that the Council of Ministers could consider the measure on September 29, although that remained subject to the Government's formal agenda.

A local housing debate

The protest brought a national housing dispute directly into the centre of Ibiza, with participants linking the case of Maricarmen to the island's own affordability pressures.

For the organisers, the message was that difficulties securing stable housing extend beyond individual eviction cases and require broader changes to the rental system.

The concentration ended with calls for greater protection for tenants and continued attention to the housing difficulties affecting people living and working in Ibiza.