Tens of thousands of people marched through Madrid and other Spanish cities on Saturday to demand action on the country’s worsening housing crisis, a day after lawmakers rejected government measures aimed at providing relief to tenants.

The protests followed growing anger over rising rents and house prices, intensified by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman, Maricarmen Abascal, from her Madrid home on Sept. 23 after living there for more than seven decades.

The government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had proposed measures including automatic renewal of tenancy contracts and restrictions on evicting vulnerable tenants. The proposals were rejected by opposition parties in parliament on Friday.

Authorities estimated that about 70,000 people participated in the Madrid demonstration, while organisers put the figure at about 500,000. Protests were also held in more than 50 other cities. Most of the demonstrations were peaceful, although clashes were reported between protesters and police in Valencia.

The housing crisis has become a major concern in Spain as housing supply continues to fall short of demand, pushing up rents and property prices.

Average rents have almost doubled over the past decade, while asking prices for homes have risen by about 90 per cent, according to property website Idealista.

Abascal’s eviction became a focal point for the protests after housing campaigners said the investment company that acquired her property sought to increase her rent by 275 per cent. Following public pressure, the new owners reached an agreement allowing her to return to the flat at a lower rent.

Some demonstrators called for a general strike, while the Tenants’ Union said it was considering further action in coordination with labour unions.

The protests also increased political pressure on Sanchez’s minority government after its housing proposals were defeated in parliament.

The measures were opposed by the conservative Popular Party, the far-right Vox party and the Catalan separatist party Junts, which had previously supported the government on some issues.

The Popular Party leader, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, called on Sanchez to hold an early election following the defeat of the housing measures.

The demonstrations are expected to keep housing at the centre of Spain’s political debate as campaigners demand measures to increase affordable housing, regulate rents and strengthen protections for tenants.