A general strike by 4 million Spanish workers — around one-fifth of the total workforce — against the country's housing crisis was mostly peaceful Wednesday, unions said, though by the evening clashes erupted in some areas of Barcelona and Madrid.
Workers endured stormy weather to set up picket lines, with large marches taking place in Madrid, Barcelona and cities across Spain less than three weeks before a snap general election.
In the evening, clashes between police and some protesters erupted in Barcelona. Reuters footage showed furniture on the street had been set on fire after the main march had ended.
Tensions also rose in Madrid, when riot police used foam bullets, tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters around the central Plaza de Espana, a Reuters witness said.
Police forces reported at least 73 arrests nationwide by 9 p.m. from at least 1,044 incidents linked to the general strike, including blockades of offices and industrial estates and burning of rubbish containers.
It is the first general strike since workers downed tools in 2012 against austerity measures during the euro zone debt crisis. The walkout is backed by Spain's two largest unions, the General Union of Workers and the Workers' Commissions, representing more than a million workers, as well as tenants' associations angry about rising rents and evictions.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hopes to harness voter resentment over housing in the November 29 election to shift the attention away from a deadly migration incident in Ceuta and a train crash last month. His government has defended its handling of the disasters but so far, his Socialist Party still trails in opinion polls.
Unions described the strike as a success even though participation was uneven across Spain, with the strongest support in coastal regions where housing pressures have been particularly acute. (Reuters)
