Spain’s First General Strike in 14 Years Ends in Clashes Over Housing Costs

Spain was hit Wednesday by its first general strike since 2012, as workers walked out over rising rents and the cost of living. Marches in Madrid and Barcelona drew large crowds, but by evening some demonstrators were clashing with police, according to the Associated Press and Al Jazeera.

The 24-hour strike disrupted public transportation, forced some businesses to close and blocked major roads, Fox News reported, citing the AP. The unrest came weeks before national elections, which Fox News said are set for Nov. 29, and has turned the housing crisis into a sharp political fight.

What happened on the streets

Al Jazeera reported that hundreds of thousands of people took part across the country. Authorities estimated about 120,000 marchers in the capital and more than 50,000 in Barcelona. Fox News, citing the AP, reported that housing activists put the Barcelona turnout at 400,000, while city officials estimated 55,000.

After a largely peaceful march in Barcelona, some protesters vandalized stores on the Paseo de Gracia shopping boulevard, lit small fires and shot fireworks at riot police, the AP reported. Al Jazeera said masked groups in both cities threw objects at officers and set fires, and that police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse them. The AP said officers also used pepper spray in Madrid.

Police reported at least 73 arrests nationwide by 21:00 GMT, linked to at least 1,044 incidents, Al Jazeera reported. Those included blockades of offices and industrial estates and burned trash containers.

What the strike’s backers say

Spain’s largest labor unions called the strike a success, Fox News reported. Workers and activists are demanding relief from sharply rising rents. The BBC, as cited by Fox News, linked the anger in part to the case of an 87-year-old Madrid woman who had lived in her apartment for seven decades. She was reportedly evicted after her rent tripled and died weeks later.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez reportedly encouraged workers to use their right to strike, according to Fox News.

What critics say

Business groups disputed the unions’ claims of widespread participation, Fox News reported. Conservative opposition leaders accused Sánchez’s government of exploiting the unrest for electoral gain, according to the BBC as cited by Fox News.

Why it matters

For people living in Spain, the strike shows how central housing costs have become. Transport and business disruptions hit commuters and shops for a day, and the crowd estimates, which differ widely between organizers and officials, show how contested even the size of the protest is.

Housing is also now a major issue in the campaign. The strike came only weeks before voters go to the polls, and each side is arguing about what the protests mean. Reports so far do not settle how many people took part or how much of the violence was linked to organized groups.

Around Prague, based on reporting by Fox News, Al Jazeera

Cover photo: Barcex / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

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