Activists from the Sindicato de Inquilinas on 22 September 2026 disrupted the appearance of Isabel Díaz Ayuso at the opening of the property fair The District in IFEMA Madrid during a tour of the exhibition halls by the president of the Community of Madrid they threw leaflets, chanted slogans and drew attention to what they described as the imminent eviction of an 87-year-old woman with no alternative accommodation. Security staff pushed the protesters back; Ayuso continued her tour.
Ayuso had officially opened The District shortly beforehand. According to the organisers, Spain’s largest property fair is taking place in Madrid for the first time from 22 to 24 September 2026 and is aimed at investment funds, developers and public bodies. The organisers promote the event as a European platform for capital, urban development and major projects. The fair is being held at the Feria de Madrid, which operates under the IFEMA Madrid brand.
In their leaflets, the activists criticised the city’s opening up to speculative capital. Slogans such as “Madrid para vivir, no para invertir” and “Stop fondos buitre” were aimed at international investors. The leaflets named both Isabel Díaz Ayuso and Madrid’s mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida , as political decision-makers. Ayuso did not address the disruption from the stage.
On the specific eviction case mentioned, local reports refer to the demonstrators’ account; no independent official documents on this individual case were publicly available on the day of the opening. What is clear is that the activists’ intervention put the conflict over affordable housing, rents and displacement in the spotlight during a high-profile industry event. Groups such as Sindicato de Inquilinas have long called for authorities to systematically provide alternatives when evictions take place.
The dispute comes amid an ongoing housing shortage in Madrid, where the influence of large asset managers and funds on the market is hotly debated. Supporters of events such as The District point to capital inflows and a pipeline of projects; critics see the risk of rising rents and further financialisation of housing. Whatever the assessment of these competing interests, Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s opening and the disruption of her tour, including the allegations made by the activists, are documented for 22 September 2026.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).