Unruly protesters set fires, smashed storefronts and launched fireworks at riot police across parts of Spain on Wednesday as a massive nationwide strike over soaring housing costs disrupted transportation and businesses.
Violent scenes unfolded in Barcelona, where some demonstrators vandalized stores along the city’s popular Paseo de Gracia shopping boulevard, set small bonfires and launched fireworks at officers arriving in riot gear and armored vehicles, according to The Associated Press.
The violence erupted after a largely peaceful march as Spain experienced its first general strike in 14 years, with workers demanding relief from skyrocketing rents and the rising cost of living.
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Housing activists claimed 400,000 people marched through Barcelona, while city officials estimated attendance at 55,000. Government officials reported another 120,000 demonstrators gathered in Madrid despite heavy rain, the AP reported.
The nationwide walkout disrupted public transportation, forced some businesses to close and blocked major roads. Police made arrests across the country, while officers used pepper spray against demonstrators in Madrid, according to the AP.
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The unrest comes amid growing frustration over Spain’s housing crisis, fueled in part by the eviction of an 87-year-old Madrid woman who had lived in her apartment for seven decades before reportedly facing a tripling of her rent. She died weeks later, according to the BBC.
The housing crisis has become a major political flashpoint ahead of Spain’s Nov. 29 parliamentary elections, with Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez reportedly encouraging workers to exercise their right to strike.
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But the demonstrations have also sparked a political clash, with conservative opposition leaders accusing Sánchez’s government of exploiting the unrest for electoral gain, according to the BBC.
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Meanwhile, Spain’s largest labor unions declared the ongoing strike a success despite business groups disputing claims of widespread participation.
