María del Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old wheelchair user, died in the hospital on Wednesday. Her death follows her eviction on September 23 from the downtown Madrid apartment where she had lived since 1956. Abascal had been hospitalized for severe anxiety and exhaustion after being thrown out of the home her family had rented decades prior.
The eviction took place after an investment firm purchased the flat and sought to increase the rent by 230%. This situation turned Abascal into a symbol and the public face of Spain's housing crisis, triggering nationwide protests and growing anger across the country.
The resulting political crisis prompted the government to call early national elections for next month, where housing will be a central issue. On Thursday, tens of thousands of protesters marched through the center of Madrid to mark the death of Abascal and voice their opposition to the housing crisis.