At least 23 people have been arrested across Spain as the country faced its first general strike in 14 years, aimed directly at a mounting housing crisis that has driven rents up nationwide. vg.no reported that the nationwide action brought out millions of workers on Wednesday, leading to blocked streets, transit halts, and fiery clashes in major cities.
Jacob Järte, a 41-year-old Norwegian on a conference trip in Barcelona, watched the unrest unfold from his hotel balcony after daytime demonstrations turned volatile by evening. “Nå skal jeg sannsynligvis bytte hotellrom, for nå lukter det brent søppel i hele hotellrommet,” Järte told vg.no, describing masked individuals, rioting police, and burning street bins outside.
The strike caused severe disruption to public transport, commercial ports, and major supply chains, with the state broadcaster RTVE confirming the arrest figures. adressa.no reported that large automotive plants like Volkswagen in Pamplona and major wholesalers were particularly hard hit by picket lines and road blockades.
Union leaders from Spain’s largest labor organizations, UGT and CCOO, reported 90 percent participation in public transport and port sectors. The anger among citizens reached a boiling point earlier in the autumn following the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen from her rental home after a sharp rent increase, a case that adressa.no noted has become a symbol of a failing housing policy.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez scheduled a snap general election for November 29 after his housing policy proposals were initially voted down in the national parliament, while the conservative Partido Popular and the far-right Vox party face a delicate political balance as they oppose state intervention in the housing market while attempting to capitalize on public frustration.
Tensions also flared online when the conservative Partido Popular published an artificial intelligence-generated image on X depicting labor leaders feasting on seafood while workers struck. Dagbladet reported that the governing social democratic party PSOE sharply condemned the post, writing, “Dere klarer ikke håndtere dette landet og dets arbeidere.”
Millions of workers walked off the job to protest high rents, a lack of affordable housing, and soaring living costs. Labor unions are demanding rent controls, restrictions on tourist rentals, and investigations into real estate speculators.
Prime Minister Sánchez utlyste nyvalg 29. november etter at hans forslag ble nedstemt i nasjonalforsamlingen.
Public transport, ports, the meat industry, and the energy sector reported up to 90 percent participation, while traffic chaos and clashes occurred in Madrid and Catalonia.
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