Workers hold minute's silence for Maricarmen as Barcelona housing protest camp continues

Workers and public officials across Catalonia held a minute's silence on Friday in memory of Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old woman who died on Wednesday, two weeks after being evicted from her Madrid home.

Her case has become a symbol of Spain's housing crisis and has helped fuel a wave of protests.

In Barcelona, mayor Jaume Collboni and Catalan economy minister Alícia Romero joined municipal workers, other public officials and trade union representatives for a minute’s silence outside city hall in Plaça Sant Jaume.

Union representatives called on the authorities to take action to ensure access to decent, affordable housing.

Plaça Catalunya camp-out

Around 600 tents, according to organizers, now fill Plaça Catalunya, where protesters have been camping for around ten days to demand action on housing.

The protest camp follows a similar protest in Madrid and comes amid anger over evictions and unaffordable rents.

Since protests started, Congress has rejected two government housing decrees, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called an early general election for November 29, and unions announced a 24-hour general strike across Spain for November 11.

On Friday, the Sindicat de Llogateres (Tenants’ Union) announced it would step back from "direct" involvement in the Barcelona encampment to focus on organising the strike.

It urged members to build organising committees in workplaces, educational institutions and neighbourhoods.

At the camp, protesters continue to voice anger over people being forced from their homes. "People are killing themselves," one protester, Uri, told Catalan News, describing the consequences of evictions.

The Tenants’ Union thanked those who initiated the camp and urged people to "keep turning public discontent into collective action" ahead of November's strike.