Millions of people joined Spain’s first general strike in 14 years, The Guardian reports.
At the heart of the nationwide 24-hour strike, held on Wednesday, was a protest against Spain’s deepening housing crisis. The action was initiated by tenants’ groups and was later backed by trade unions.
Trade unions said the strike was strongly supported in certain sectors, with 90% of workers in the automotive industry and ports joining in, as well as 82% of municipal refuse collectors. However, participation was uneven across the country. The largest turnouts were in coastal regions such as Catalonia and Andalusia, where housing costs are highest.
The Confederation of Tenants’ Associations called the strike a success, noting that by midday around 4 million people had taken part.
Many schools and universities were closed or operating on a limited basis. In Madrid, the strike came on top of a teachers’ strike that began almost a month ago, demanding improved working conditions.
In Barcelona, protesters set up barricades, in some places with burning tyres, meaning public transport effectively ground to a halt. Masked youths set fire to rubbish bins and smashed shop windows. Police used tear gas against them. Immediately after the strike began at midnight, pickets were organised that blocked entrances to factories, markets and transport hubs. The main routes into Barcelona were blocked in both directions.
In Madrid, clashes broke out near the country’s main wholesale market between picketers and police, and thousands of demonstrators marched onto the city’s main boulevard, temporarily bringing traffic to a standstill.
According to government officials, more than 50 people were detained nationwide over minor incidents.
The government of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who represents left-wing political forces, tried to push through parliament laws intended to ease the situation for tenants, but opposition parties blocked these initiatives.
Lacking sufficient authority to pass the necessary legislation, Sánchez called an early election, which will take place on 29 November, hoping to secure broader support.