Thousands march in Malaga against soaring rents and stagnant wages in housing crisis

Crowds filled the streets of central Malaga on Saturday, June 27, in the latest major demonstration against a worsening housing situation. Organisers from the Malaga para Vivir platform described the event as the fourth in a series of actions that began in June 2024, forming part of a wider national response to the ongoing accommodation shortage.

Marchers chanted the slogan “Ni alquileres por las nubes, ni salarios por los suelos” (not sky-high rents, nor low wages) while moving from Plaza de la Merced through several central streets before concluding at Plaza de la Constitucion. Estimates of attendance varied sharply, with platform representatives claiming around 25,000 people joined compared to the 4,500 figure reported by national police. Such are protests everywhere around the world. Similar differences appeared in records from the initial protest, which drew between 5,500 and 20,000 people, depending on who you listen to.

Platform builds momentum toward general strike

Spokesperson Lula Amir addressed supporters and linked the protest to multiple connected struggles. Community assemblies and neighbourhood meetings over two years have strengthened coordination, according to Amir. The movement connects exploitation of local territory, worsening job insecurity, and barriers to obtaining decent housing.

Platform members rejected reliance on institutional solutions and accused authorities of knowing exactly how to regulate property prices yet failing to act. Organisers made Saturday’s gathering about being another milestone in their campaign and announced a follow-up meeting on Monday, June 29, at La Casa Invisible to advance plans for a general strike.

Politicians voice strong support and avoid blame

Andalucian parliamentarian Ana Villarejo described housing as completely inaccessible in Malaga, with prices detached from local salaries and economic realities. She scapegoated tourism as the cause, ignoring claims from opposition parties that the root cause was legislation from the current central government that favours squatters over property owners and so dissuades them from long-term renting out of their second homes. She also conveniently ignored the fact that tourism has been the bread and butter of the Costa del Sol for the last half a century, and responsible for creating wealth and jobs for just as long.

Council socialist spokesperson Mariano Ruiz Araujo called for a complete overhaul of the urban development model. He highlighted the departure of more than 40,000 residents aged 25 to 40 in recent years as evidence of the crisis.

This latest protest goes to show growing citizen pressure on leaders at local, regional, and national levels to address the interconnected problems of affordability and liveability in cities like Malaga.