Millions of Spanish workers went on strike Wednesday to protest housing costs, shutting down stores and stalling public transportation in the nation’s first general walkout in 14 years.
Their slogan: “Salaries. Housing. Prices.”
The Associated Press reported that police used pepper spray on some activists who defied rainy weather to block the main streets of Madrid, the kingdom’s capital and largest city.
People were interested in these podcasts
According to Spanish-language news sources, the Interior Ministry reported 653 strike-related incidents by 2 p.m. and 42 arrests by late afternoon.
Alquiler Seguro, a property rental firm, said more than 40 of its offices were vandalized with silicone in locks and graffiti.
Many Barcelona shops had boarded up their windows during unrelated riots and looting in late October, Spanish media said.
Picket lines blocking main roads into Barcelona kept 13 of 44 scheduled commuter trains from leaving during the morning rush hour on Wednesday, the news agency EFE reported.
Unions organizing the strike reported major work stoppages across the economy as protesters demanded government action ahead of a national election scheduled for Nov. 29.
They said the stoppages affected 90% of car and port workers, 85% of the meat industry, 82% of trash collection and 75% of the energy sector.
Some officials noted that the demonstrations affected only a minority of civil service workers. Miguel Angel Garcia, a spokesman for Madrid’s right-leaning regional government, called the strike a failure and said only 9% of the area’s public-sector employees participated.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of the Socialist Workers’ Party scheduled the election earlier than usual amid growing unrest over evictions and public services.
Protesters and unionists have demanded the abolition of high-rent tourist apartments, tighter government regulation of housing, a higher minimum wage and restrictions on real estate speculation and automatic lease renewals.
The conservative Popular Party and far-right Vox have opposed government intervention in the housing market beyond supporting incentivized construction for new homes. They accused the unions of staging the protests to help the prime minister stay in office.
“This strike is not a general strike; it is an electoral strike,” Miguel Tellado, a spokesman for the Popular Party, said on Tuesday before the walkout began.
Supporters of the protests note that the average rent in Spain has nearly doubled over the past 10 years, eroding household savings.
One of the protesters was Carlos Ferrer, a 45-year-old customer service worker who, as he departed Barcelona by train, said that sometimes only “radical measures” could lead to change.
“Authorities need to feel pressure from the citizens so they can do something,” Mr. Ferrer told AP.
Additional protests were planned in more than 50 cities and towns throughout the country.
According to Spanish airport operator AENA, 5% of flights on Wednesday were canceled nationwide.
“The strike has exceeded the labor unions’ expectations,” said Unai Sordo, secretary general of CCOO, one of the two unions calling the strike. “It has been a success in terms of turnout.”
Incidents in the first hours of the strike included tire fires at roadblocks in Barcelona, scuffles with police on the outskirts of Madrid and closures of some schools and universities.
The latest protests follow a strike that teachers started last month to demand better working conditions.
Riots have been sweeping across Europe. A Fox News investigation last month found that adult communist, pro-Palestinian and liberal advocacy organizations made up 2 in 3 groups involved in the riots in France.
Numerous arrests and injuries to police and protesters have also been documented in reports on demonstrations in Albania, Belgium, Italy and Portugal.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.