MADRID — Thousands of Spaniards marched through central Madrid on Thursday to mourn an 87-year-old woman whose eviction from her long-time home ignited nationwide protests and precipitated a snap general election next month.

Maricarmen Abascal died on Wednesday after being hospitalized with severe anxiety and exhaustion since her eviction on September 23. No cause of death has been announced.

The wave of protests over housing shortages and surging rents that followed her eviction prompted Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to call a snap general election for November 29, after parliament rejected his government's proposals to address the country's mounting housing crisis. Her case has since turned housing into a central issue of the campaign, with the main parties divided over both responsibility for the crisis and the remedies that failed in parliament.

As the sun set over Madrid, thousands of demonstrators followed members of the Tenants Union, who walked arm-in-arm in orange vests and carried a wreath of flowers from a protest camp in the central Puerta del Sol square to Ms. Abascal's former home near Retiro Park.

"They're not deaths; they're murders," the protesters chanted.

Several people who received eviction orders have died by suicide in Spain in recent months.

Political Leaders Trade Blame

Political leaders invoked Ms. Abascal's case on Thursday in attacks on their opponents. Left-leaning parties criticized conservatives who rejected legislation in parliament aimed at curbing soaring rental prices, while right-wing figures said the leftist central government had failed to tackle the crisis during eight years in power.

Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, leader of the conservative opposition People's Party (PP), accused Mr. Sanchez and the Socialists of seeking to exploit the housing crisis for political gain ahead of the election.

"We will not allow this attempt to manipulate the emotions of the Spanish people; all of this has happened during their eight years in government. It won't fly," Mr. Feijoo said.

In the Madrid regional assembly, Manuela Bergerot, opposition leader of the leftist Mas Madrid party, said Maricarmen — as she has become known across Spain — had died because of "miserable people who put gain above a person's life." She said the last thing Madrid regional leader Isabel Diaz Ayuso had done while Maricarmen was alive was "laugh at her," a reference to Ms. Ayuso's quip on September 28: "At what age do I get to stop paying my landlords? Let me know."

Ms. Ayuso, for her part, blamed Mr. Sanchez, saying Maricarmen had been evicted under his government.

Protesters Blame 'Greedy' Landlords

News of the octogenarian's death enraged protesters camped on squares in Spain's main cities, who chanted that she had been "murdered" because of the greed of her landlords.

Ms. Abascal had lived in her building for more than 70 years before an investment fund purchased it. She then lost a lengthy legal battle against rent increases that far exceeded her pension income, leading to her eviction. While in the hospital, she reached a deal to regain her home, but she died before she could return.

"When everything is private, we will be deprived of everything," read a placard in Puerta del Sol square, where mourners lit candles and left flowers honoring Maricarmen.

Outside Ms. Abascal's building, mourners left flowers, candles, handwritten notes and children's drawings.

"Maricarmen was the straw that broke the camel's back… (she was) a symbol of resistance and unity," said Alex Marinero, a 21-year-old protester.

Tense Scenes in the Regional Legislature

Tributes to Ms. Abascal in the Madrid region's legislature also triggered arguments, as lawmakers accused one another of cynically exploiting the case. The PP, which holds absolute majorities in the Madrid regional and local assemblies, refused to hold a minute of silence in her honor.

Instead, hard-left deputies staged one outside City Hall and gave Ms. Abascal a 60-second standing ovation during a tense debate in the regional assembly, while PP lawmakers remained seated with folded arms.

A survey carried out in June and published on Thursday by state pollster CIS found that 76.3% of Spaniards support intervening in the market to guarantee access to housing, while 79% believe the right to housing should take precedence over treating homes as a market commodity. Released the same day as the Madrid march, the findings quantify the public appetite for intervention in a debate that has split the country's main parties ahead of the November 29 vote.

Ombudsman Angel Gabilondo said addressing the housing crisis would require greater commitment from all levels of government. He said his office was preparing a housing report and reiterated proposals including expanding public housing, restricting tourist rentals, increasing rent assistance and strengthening protections against evictions for vulnerable households. The report is being prepared as the country heads toward the November 29 election.

— Reuters