March Rescheduled Amid Weather Warning
Pro-housing organisations have postponed a major demonstration originally set for Saturday, 3 October, in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. The event, planned as a tribute to Olga Matute, a 54-year-old woman who died by suicide five months after being evicted, will now take place on Monday, 5 October at 7 PM in Plaça Urquinaona, Barcelona. The decision follows an exceptional weather alert for the Catalan coast, with authorities forecasting heavy rainfall and potential flooding. Organisers including the Sindicat d’Habitatge Socialista de Catalunya (SHSC), Som Santa Eulàlia, Sindicat de Llogateres, COSHAC, UGT, CCOO, and CGT jointly confirmed the change.
Tribute to Olga Matute
Olga Matute was evicted from her home in Santa Eulàlia, L’Hospitalet, on 15 April 2026 after living there for over two decades. She died by suicide on 7 September 2026. Her case has become emblematic in the national housing crisis, drawing comparisons to Maricarmen in Madrid and Javier, another resident of L’Hospitalet. During a February 2024 appearance before the Catalan Parliament’s Commission on Mental Health and Addictions, Matute described falling into "a very deep pit" and having suicidal thoughts, citing unemployment, lack of child support, and the certainty of eviction as key factors. Despite being admitted to psychiatric emergency at Hospital de Bellvitge the night before her eviction, the court proceeded with the eviction.
What we must do is grow, for this spark to become a massive wave of constant mobilization that culminates in a general strike.
Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson, Sindicat de Llogateres Her home had been transferred to Promontoria Coliseum Real Estate, a company linked to investment fund Cerberus, which declined to renew her social rental agreement despite protections under Law 1/2022 requiring large landlords to offer such tenancies. That law was partially annulled by Spain’s Constitutional Court in October 2024, leaving vulnerable households without legal safeguards.
National Housing Crisis Intensifies
The postponement comes amid escalating tensions over housing policy. On Friday, 2 October, Spain’s Congress of Deputies rejected new anti-eviction measures, including provisions for indefinite rental contracts, following opposition from Junts, PP, and Vox. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned lawmakers they would be judged harshly for their votes. In response, Sindicat de Llogateres has called for continuous mobilisation and a general strike. Major unions including CCOO and CGT have echoed the call, accusing right-wing parties of uniting against working-class families. The rescheduled gathering on Monday will include a floral offering, a musical performance by Cor La Magrana, and speeches from representatives of all organising bodies. Attendees are urged to check El Periódico Barcelona for updates ahead of the event.
Reported by elperiodico.com, diariosocialista.net, cadenaser.com, en.ara.cat, Julio César Ruiz Aguilar, liniaxarxa.cat, elsaltodiario.com, euronews.com, Jaime Barrionuevo of, El Periódico Barcelona.
