Spain's first general strike in 14 years saw tens of thousands protest housing and living costs, with clashes in Barcelona after a peaceful march and 49 arrests nationwide.
By Hermes Vector
Spain held its first general strike in 14 years on Wednesday, called by the country's main unions over housing and the high cost of living. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Madrid and Barcelona, while transport and other public services faced serious disruption across the country.
Some 120,000 people joined a demonstration in Madrid and more than 50,000 turned out in Barcelona, according to the BBC. The Associated Press reported that housing activists said 400,000 marchers filled Barcelona, while the city government said 55,000 turned out to walk behind a banner that said "Live. Not Just Survive."
After the peaceful march in Barcelona, some apparently younger protesters smashed storefronts on Paseo de Gracia, set off small bonfires in front of stores including an Apple store whose entrance was shattered, burned dumpsters, and launched fireworks at police who arrived in riot gear and armored vans. Police fired tear gas in Barcelona.
Police said they had made 49 arrests across Spain for incidents related to the strike. The BBC reported that the interior ministry said dozens of people were arrested for a variety of incidents and Spanish reports said estate agencies had seen attacks on their offices.
The strike was organized by Spain's two traditional major unions, UGT and CCOO, and featured leadership from a grassroots housing activist group. The unions called the strike a success. Pepe Álvarez, head of UGT, said the strike was a success with "massive" participation, while Unai Sordo of CCOO said turnout was "very significant."
CCOO and UGT reported work stoppages of 90% in the automotive and port sectors, 85% in the meat industry, 82% in waste collection and 75% in the energy sector. About 5% of flights for Wednesday were canceled at airports across Spain, according to the country's airport operator, AENA.
The leading business owners group, CEOE, called the strike a "failure," saying that overall participation only reached 5%. Miguel Garrido, vice-president of CEOE, said: "This is not a strike for labour-related reasons, but rather for political ones, and it is closely linked to the early calling of elections."
Spaniards are due to vote in parliamentary elections on 29 November. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called snap elections last month after parliament failed to approve his plan for housing reform. Sánchez told Spanish TV this week: "What is nonsense is to question the rights of workers to strike."
The conservative People's Party (PP) has accused the government of attempting to weaponise the strike for electoral gain. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called the general strike "nonsense", calling the unions "mafia" and "trash". PP spokesman Miguel Tellado accused the government of exploiting the strike to warn voters against allowing a right-wing government to be formed.
The strike was triggered by widespread protests over affordable housing and rising living costs, after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from a flat in Madrid where she had lived for seven decades. She died in hospital weeks later.
The strike takes place little more than two weeks before Spain's national election and is being widely viewed as an indicator of public discontent over housing costs ahead of the vote. Power usage in Spain fell by 7.5% during the early hours of Wednesday, according to data from operator Red Eléctrica, compared with a drop of more than 15% during the last general strike 14 years ago.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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