Footage from the streets of Spain in recent days shows a country in revolt: tens of thousands gathered in central Madrid and Barcelona, banging saucepans, rattling housekeys, waving banners and chanting. Blazing refuse bins have created an atmosphere of riot, as have those hurling stones at the windows of high-end stores.

Protest has been sparked by the eviction - on a stretcher - of a disabled and frail 87-year-old tenant, Maricarmen Abascal, whose rent had been quintupled from 500 euros a month to 2650. Taken to hospital, she died earlier this week, leading protesters to announce “it’s not a death, it’s a killing”.

Since Abascal’s forcible removal, rage over her plight has escalated into a nationwide demonstration against the extortionate cost of renting a property. Barcelona and Madrid are worst affected, with rents in the capital rising by more than 100% in the past decade. Many blame the situation on rapacious corporations, which are buying up properties and demanding sky-high rents.

Landlord greed is causing grief across the country, among young and old. Yet despite widespread outrage, the prospects for renters remain bleak. So too for Spain’s embattled Socialist party government which, because of the protests, might soon find itself toppled.

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