There have been clashes between groups of masked people and police in Barcelona during the first general strike in 14 years against rising housing costs and inflation in Spain. In the strike held on the appeal of major labor organizations of the country, about 1 lakh 20 thousand people took part in the demonstration in the capital Madrid and more than 50 thousand people in Barcelona. In Barcelona, masked people were seen setting dustbins on fire and breaking shop windows. Police released tear gas. According to the Home Ministry, dozens of people have been arrested in different incidents. The strike had a major impact on traffic and other public services across Spain. Traffic stopped on many main roads of Madrid and Barcelona. A woman who took part in the demonstration in Barcelona told the BBC that the majority of the demonstration was peaceful and that children and the elderly were also included. However, in the evening they saw fires burning at many places on the roads.
In the background of this strike, there are ongoing demonstrations regarding the demand for affordable houses and increasing daily expenses. Protests escalated in Madrid after 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal was evicted from the flat where she had lived for seven decades. He died in hospital a few weeks later. Olga Domingo, a 37-year-old teacher who participated in the protest, said that it has become difficult to survive with the current expenses compared to the salary. Parliamentary elections are to be held in Spain on 29 November. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had announced early elections last month after his housing reform plan failed to get approval from parliament. Sanchez and his ministers have encouraged people to stop work and demand affordable housing.
