Tens of thousands are protesting against the housing shortage in Spain

In Spain, tens of thousands of people protested across the country on Saturday against the increasing housing shortage. According to government figures, around 70,000 demonstrators took part in the capital Madrid alone.

While the rallies in 50 Spanish cities were largely peaceful, there were riots in southeastern Valencia. Police there used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd. About 30 demonstrators temporarily entered the well-known “City of Arts and Sciences” cultural complex before they were driven away by officials. Some participants called for a general strike on posters.

The protests were triggered by the failure of a legislative package to alleviate the housing crisis. The opposition blocked the measures in parliament on Friday. The government drafted the draft in response to public outrage over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid and other problems in the housing market.

“It's a shame,” said 26-year-old Nando de Anguulo, who took part in the demonstration in Madrid. "It proves that we citizens should adapt to the political parties and not the politicians to what the people want. Things cannot continue like this."

The political defeat could have far-reaching consequences for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. According to Spanish media reports on Friday, he is considering calling new elections in November. Sanchez wanted to wait for Saturday's protests before making a decision, it said. His office declined to comment on the reports.