Spain: Housing crisis prompts general strike, mass nighttime protests

Authorities in Spain say that despite pouring rain, some 120,000 citizens took to the streets of the capital Madrid on Wednesday evening after millions of striking workers brought Europe's fourth-largest economy to a standstill under the motto "Salaries. Housing. Prices" in the country's first general strike in 14 years earlier in the day.

The massive turnout came in response to housing shortages and unbearably high rents.

City officials in Barcelona said 55,000 people attended evening marches there as they walked behind a huge banner reading "Live. Not just survive." Housing activists in the city said the turnout was far larger, claiming that 400,000 had hit the streets.

As has been the case in other demonstrations across the EU of late, peaceful protests later gave way to small groups of marauding young men who smashed storefront windows along Barcelona's main shopping street. They also set fire to dumpsters and shot fireworks at police when they arrived.

What happened during Spain's general strike?

Earlier on Wednesday, workers across Spain gathered en mass, marching and setting up picket lines despite stormy weather in many areas of the country.

Symbolized by the eviction and death of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid earlier this year, the crisis has also prompted a snap election set for November 29.

The government of left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attempted to pass legislation to ease the plight of renters, but was blocked in parliament by opposition parties. Lacking the power to get legislation passed, Sanchez called the early vote in hopes to shore up more support.

Sanchez's government did end up approving two extraordinary decrees introducing measures similar to the housing reforms rejected by parliament.

"We won't stop until we transform this country's housing model from top to bottom so that houses are for living instead of being at the service of the [landlord] minority," said Alicia del Rio, spokesperson for the Madrid Tenants' Union.

While most of the protests were peaceful, strikers in front of Madrid's Mercamadrid wholesale market said police had used pepper spray on the crowd, prompting at least 13 people to seek medical attention.

Some airlines later reported disruptions to flights in and out of Spain as some airport and airline workers participated in the strike.

How bad is Spain's housing crisis?

The country has a deficit of about 750,000 homes, which is set to grow to more than a million by 2028 according to estimates from the central bank.

With fewer and fewer individuals and families able to buy a home, the number of renters in the country has risen sharply. According to Spain's youth council, the average rent is €1,176 ($1,315). This is equivalent to 99% of the average young person's salary.

The general strike came a day after rail workers launched a strike over two major deadly train crashes this year, making decrepit infrastructure another major issue in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

How have political leaders reacted to the strike?

Spain's government supported Wednesday's strike, saying it was staged "in favor of rights" rather than against anyone. Sources close to Sanchez inner circle have gone so far as to say it is "against the opposition."

Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the conservative People's Party (PP), had a different take, saying if it was indeed "a strike against the opposition," it was "an absurdity the likes of which does not exist in any other European Union country."

Although the UGT labor union — one of the strike organizers — and Sanchez's socialist PSOE party are two separate institutions, they share a historic founder in Pablo Iglesias Posse.

Strike supported by sitting government, many in Spain believe

Nicole Ris, reporting for DW in Madrid, followed the strike closely as it unfolded on Wednesday, saying earlier:

Here in Madrid apparently lots of people are still showing up for work and people I know have clearly said they will not go on strike as they don't see much sense in it (although they all suffer under the cost living crisis and the housing crisis).

"I'm not taking part in this. It's nonsense. The government is supporting it because they hope they'll get enough votes on the 29th so they can carry on," a doorman in Madrid told me.

There is also a debate about this strike being an "election strike" that could benefit the current government.

The government supports the strike, claiming it is being held "in favor of rights" rather than against anyone. Sources close to Sanchez's inner circle have gone so far as to say it is "against the opposition," according to the media here.