Clashes erupt in Barcelona as thousands join Spain general strike

Clashes have broken out between groups of protesters and police in Barcelona after tens of thousands of people took part in Spain’s first general strike for 14 years, called by the country’s main unions over housing and the high cost of living.

Some 120,000 people joined a demonstration in the capital Madrid and more than 50,000 turned out in Barcelona, where footage showed masked men setting fire to rubbish bins and smashing shop windows as police fired tear gas.

The head of the big UGT labour union, Pepe Álvarez, said the strike was a success with “massive” participation, while Unai Sordo of the CC OO union said turnout was “very significant.”

There was a heavy Police presence in the centre of Barcelona on Wednesday evening, with officers wearing helmets and riot shields.

Some of the disturbances took place in the Passeig de Gràcia, close to the iconic Plaça de Catalunya in the centre of the city.

Small fires burned in the middle of the streets where the disturbances took place. Local media reported that a group of people fired fireworks towards police and looted shops including the Lego store. Protesters were also seen trying to enter the Apple Store.

Earlier in the day there was major disruption around Madrid and Barcelona, with traffic halted on several main roads.

The Interior Ministry said dozens of people were arrested for a variety of incidents and Spanish reports said estate agencies had seen attacks on their offices.

“We’ve completely brought the city to a standstill.,” a protester in Madrid told Reuters news agency, adding there was widespread support for the general strike. “Everyone’s out there, despite the rainy weather; everyone’s out on the streets.”

Another protester, 37-year-old teacher Olga Domingo, said she was protesting because the government “keep making cuts” and “the housing situation is outrageous. The current cost of living compared to wages is completely unsustainable”.

The strike was triggered by widespread protests over affordable housing and rising living costs, after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from a flat in Madrid where she had lived for seven decades. She died in hospital weeks later.

Rental prices in the capital have risen in recent years. The monthly cost of a 50 sq m apartment in Madrid was an average of €1,170 in October, according to property portal Idealista, while Spain’s average gross monthly salary is about €2,460.

That amounts to nearly half the average gross salary, well above the 30% level of affordability often recommended by housing experts and public institutions.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called snap elections last month after Parliament failed to approve his plan for housing reform.

Not since 2012, under the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy, has Spain held general strikes.

And while previous strikes have been problematic for the government in power, this one is different. Sánchez and his ministers have even encouraged workers to down tools and demand affordable housing.