Protesters clash with riot police as Spain’s workers' strike over housing crisis descends into violence
Millions of workers have taken to the streets across Spain’s major cities in a nationwide strike against soaring rents and property prices, disrupting public transport and closing businesses in the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy.
The mass protest — held under the banner “Salaries. Housing. Prices.” — represents the country’s first general strike in 14 years, and the first driven primarily by anger over the cost of living and housing. It comes as Spain’s left-wing government attempts to mobilise voters ahead of a snap national election later this month, facing difficult opinion polls. Meanwhile, housing campaigners are demanding tighter regulation of tenants’ rights and a crackdown on real estate speculation.
Demonstrations culminated in major gatherings in Madrid, Barcelona and other cities. Organisers stated that 400,000 marchers packed the streets of Barcelona, while municipal officials put the turnout at 55,000 behind a large banner stating “Live. Not Just Survive.”
In Madrid, government officials estimated that 120,000 people took part despite heavy rain.
Following a peaceful demonstration in Barcelona, small groups of younger protesters smashed windows of major brand-name stores along the Paseo de Gracia shopping avenue. Fires were set outside retail outlets, rubbish bins were burnt, and fireworks were launched at riot police who responded in armoured vans.
A group of hooded individuals also tried to force entry into an Apple store in the city centre.
Throughout the day, Barcelona’s metro and bus services ceased operating outside of rush-hour periods, significantly reducing traffic, though many smaller businesses such as cafes remained open.
Carlos Ferrer, a 45-year-old customer service worker attempting to return to Alicante by train from Barcelona, said that sometimes only “radical measures, such as a general strike” can force a change of course.
“Authorities need to feel pressure from the citizens so they can do something,” he said.
In the capital, umbrella-bearing crowds filled the Paseo del Prado boulevard as rain continued into the evening. Almudena López, 74, joined the protest alongside her husband out of concern for their children.
“My son is 43 years old and still doesn’t own a home as he cannot afford one,” López said, explaining that her son works in IT but can only afford to rent a room in a shared property.
“When I was young, if you had a university degree, you could get a job by saving a bit — which always required some sacrifice — but you could manage. It’s nothing like it is today.”
Although organised by Spain’s two primary trade union federations, the strike was largely driven by grassroots housing movements formed predominantly of younger people facing housing pressures.
“This strike is against rent seekers, against real estate speculators, against the large companies that get rich by selling properties and, of course, against all the levels of government,” grassroots campaigner Valeria Racu told reporters in Madrid. “We are here to show that we have the capacity to mark our own agenda and we are going to keep doing so no matter who governs.”
