Tens of thousands protest in Spain against housing crisis

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid and other Spanish cities this Saturday (3) to demand measures against the growing housing crisis. The protests occurred a day after Parliament rejected proposals presented by the government.

Some protesters carried signs calling for a general strike. The rejected measures had been drawn up following the uprising sparked by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid and amid other housing-related problems.

“It’s a shame,” said Nando de Anguulo, 26, who took part in the protest in Madrid. "This just proves that it is we, the people, who have to adapt to political parties, and not politicians to what the people want. And this cannot continue like this."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez may call an early election in November after the project was rejected by Parliament, the Spanish press reported on Friday (2).

According to reports, Sánchez was monitoring the scale of Saturday's protests before making a decision.

Sánchez's office declined to comment on the information. In the city of Valencia, in the southeast of the country, protesters clashed with the police, who used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the protest.

Around 30 protesters managed to enter the City of Arts and Sciences, an important local cultural complex, but were removed by the police. Other demonstrations in 50 Spanish cities took place peacefully.

Valeria Racu, spokeswoman for the Tenants' Union, told journalists in Madrid that a general strike will be called after negotiations with unions.

According to the Spanish government, around 70 thousand people participated in the event held this Saturday (3) in Madrid.

Protests planned for Barcelona and the neighboring city of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat were canceled due to heavy rain.