Protesters set fires, damaged storefronts and launched fireworks at riot police in parts of Spain on Wednesday as a nationwide strike over soaring housing costs disrupted transportation, businesses and major roads.
Violence broke out in Barcelona after a largely peaceful march. Some demonstrators vandalized shops along the city’s popular Paseo de Gracia shopping boulevard, ignited small fires and fired fireworks at officers who arrived in riot gear and armored vehicles, according to The Associated Press.
The unrest followed Spain’s first general strike in 14 years. Workers are demanding action on rapidly rising rents and relief from the broader cost-of-living crisis.
A protester holds a sign as objects burn in the background during a demonstration over the housing crisis Wednesday in Barcelona, Spain. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Housing activists said 400,000 people marched through Barcelona, while city officials put the crowd at 55,000. In Madrid, government officials reported that 120,000 people demonstrated despite heavy rain, the AP reported.
The strike halted or reduced public transportation, closed some businesses and blocked key highways. Police made arrests in several cities, and officers used pepper spray against protesters in Madrid, according to the AP.
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Protesters burn trash cans Wednesday in Barcelona during a nationwide general strike over Spain’s housing crisis. Workers are also seeking greater purchasing power ahead of a snap general election later this month, near Catalunya Square. (Josep Lago/AFP via Getty Images)
The unrest reflects mounting anger over Spain’s housing crisis. That frustration intensified after an 87-year-old Madrid woman who had lived in her apartment for 70 years was evicted after reportedly facing a rent increase that tripled her payments. She died weeks later, according to the BBC.
Housing has emerged as a central political issue before Spain’s Nov. 29 parliamentary elections. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has reportedly urged workers to exercise their right to strike.
Protesters light fires and throw objects during Wednesday’s unrest over the housing crisis in Barcelona, Spain. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
The demonstrations have also triggered a political confrontation. Conservative opposition leaders accused Sánchez’s government of using the unrest to improve its position ahead of the election, according to the BBC.
Spain’s largest labor unions, meanwhile, called the strike a success, while business groups challenged claims that participation was widespread.