On Monday 28 September 2026, activists from the Sindicat de Llogateres blocked several major routes in Barcelona. According to the city council, roads were closed that morning on the Avenida Meridiana at the entrance to the city, and on the Creu Coberta in the Hostafrancs neighbourhood in the Sants-Montjuïc district. Other groups marched along Còrsega and Pau Claris to the Diagonal. An attempt to close the Diagonal completely at Passeig de Gràcia was stopped by a police cordon. A rally was announced for 19:00 that evening at the Palau de Congressos where Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was attending an event.
The organisers link the protests to demands for a far-reaching package of tenant protections, known within the movement as the Decreto Maricarmen . Among other things, it provides for automatic extensions of rental contracts and their conversion into open-ended agreements. The latest mobilisation was prompted by the widely publicised eviction case of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid, which sparked protests across the country.
According to the association, the blockades were intended to put pressure on the central government ahead of a Council of Ministers meeting scheduled for Tuesday. The organisers say measures to curb rents and protect against evictions are due to be discussed there. No official decisions had been announced by Monday.
The protests caused major traffic disruption in Barcelona. Police deployed additional officers to clear junctions and keep diversion routes open. Local delays affected public transport around Diagonal metro station. No reports of injuries were available initially.
Politically, the campaign is increasing pressure on the government in Madrid to take further steps after introducing measures to intervene in the rental market. Representatives of the movement criticise the existing rules as inadequate and are pressing for measures that will have an immediate effect in tenants’ favour. Government sources, by contrast, point to legal limits and the need to maintain market incentives for new construction and renovation. It remains unclear whether elements of the proposed Decreto Maricarmen will be included in future legislation. Assessments of the scope and pace of any legislative changes remain speculative; firm decisions are expected only after the Council of Ministers meeting.
This account is based on statements from the Sindicat de Llogateres and consistent reports in regional and national media.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).