In Spain, protests turned violent against expensive housing, rising rents, and rising prices of everyday goods. In Barcelona, demonstrators set fire to the streets and smashed shop windows. After this there was a clash between the police and the demonstrators. Police used force to control the crowd. The protest took place during the country’s first nationwide strike in 14 years.
Spain’s two largest labor unions, UGT and CCOO, supported the strike. According to the unions, about 40 lakh workers stayed out of work. This is approximately one-fifth of the country’s total workforce. Large numbers of people took to the streets in several cities, including Madrid and Barcelona. Organizers of the demonstration in Barcelona claimed that around 400,000 people took part. At the same time, according to the local administration, 55 thousand people participated in the demonstration.
73 people arrested
Initially the protest was peaceful, but after the main rally ended, some masked people started violence. They set fire to dustbins and other items on the road. They broke the windows of the shops and burst firecrackers at the police. Barcelona Mayor Jaime Colboni said around 50 people were detained and 10 shops were damaged during the violence. About 100 fire department personnel were deployed to douse the fire. Police in Madrid also used tear gas, pepper spray and foam shells to disperse protesters. At least 73 people were arrested overnight in strike-related incidents across the country.
Why did people take to the streets?
People in Spain are worried about housing shortages and rising rents. There is a shortage of about 7.5 lakh houses in the country. It is estimated that by 2028 this shortfall could cross 10 lakh. The average monthly rent for a house in Spain is 1,176 euros. This is about 98.7% of the average monthly earnings of the youth. This means that almost the entire income of the youth is being spent on paying rent. The demonstration came less than three weeks before the November 29 general election. In such a situation inflation and shortage of houses can also become a big issue in elections.
