This story made it on the news in Australia (just saw it this evening), we have
similar problems here, so seems the sympathy for this woman's situation is
widespread.
...Wayne
-----Original Message-----
From: olympus
<olympus-bounces+wayne.harridge=structuregraphs.com@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On
Behalf Of Nathan Wajsman
Sent: Sunday, October 4, 2026 18:19
To: Leica Users Group <lug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [OM] IMG: Housing protest in Madrid
Spain has been in the news for not a very good reason the last couple of weeks.
It all started with the eviction of an 87-year old woman in Madrid from a
rental apartment where she had lived for 70 years (she basically inherited the
lease from her parents). The apartment was rent-controlled, and she was paying
just 500 Euros a month for an apartment in a part of Madrid where the market
rent is more like 2000 per month. Recently the building was sold to an
investment fund, which apparently triggered the right to increase the rent to
market levels, which she was not able to pay. Not an unusual story, but of
course the visuals of an old woman in a wheelchair being forced out of her home
had a big impact on the Spanish public. As a result, there have been large
demonstrations around Spain, demanding rent control, stop for evictions,
prohibitions against investment funds buying houses, etc. The problem is
complicated: many rental properties are owned by pensioners for whom the rent
they receive is their main source of income. If you make it impossible for them
to evict a tenant who does not pay the rent, then such owners may choose to
simply take the house off the rental market or just sell it. And in fact,
despite this 87-year old being a poster child for the problem, it is the young
people in Spain who have it worst, with a high proportion of even 30-year olds
still living with their parents because they cannot afford their own place.
On Thursday and Friday I was in Madrid for work, and Thursday evening I visited
the city’s main square, Plaza del Sol, where a huge encampment has been set up.
I walked around and took some pictures, of course. For Spain, this may well be
history in the making, as there is a high probability that it will lead to snap
election next month and a possible change of government (not for the better
from my point of view).
A small gallery is here:
https://www.greatpix.eu/Plaza-del-Sol-protests-October-2026
Cheers,
Nathan
Nathan Wajsman
photo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
http://www.greatpix.eu
http://www.frozenlight.eu
@nwajsman.bsky.social
Слава Україні! Героям слава!
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