(Adnkronos) – Spain stops for the first general strike called after elections have already been announced, 14 years after the last major mobilization organized in the country. The day began with police charges and roadblocks in several cities. At least 23 people have been arrested in various protests across Spain. Pickets blocked more than 30 roads in Catalonia, including the Ap-7 motorway, the A-2 state road, and the B-10. In Madrid, protesters blocked the M-30 ring road near Legazpi. The Ccoo union reported 13 injuries among picketers at Mercamadrid (Madrid’s wholesale market). One of the arrests took place there.
Supported by the Ccoo and Ugt unions and other organizations such as the Tenants’ Union, the strike was called to demand the right to housing and decent wages. The spark that ignited it – the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, and the enormous protests it provoked – escalated into a clash between the government and the opposition.
Unions define the strike as a “success,” but acknowledge “uneven” participation across different regions and sectors. Adherence rates stand at 41% in regions like Castile-La Mancha and Extremadura, and exceed 80% in others like Catalonia and Andalusia. The sectors with the highest participation are energy, manufacturing, automotive, petrochemical, and meat processing, in addition to other strategic sectors such as logistics, waste collection, and transport.
According to provisional strike data, participation reached 60.8% in the retail sector, 61.9% in the hospitality, tourism, and gambling sector, 25.4% in the financial sector, and 50.9% in technical services. The beginning of this general strike day was marked by incidents at the gates of Mercamadrid, where informational protesters had gathered in front of the main entrance. Riot police charged the demonstrators and used pepper spray against them.
These moments of tension were repeated in other locations such as Mercasevilla and Mercabarna, which awoke to barricades and burning tires. Incidents also occurred in other places, including the ports of Valencia and Algeciras. The spokesperson for the Tenants’ Union, Alicia del Río, called the strike a “success” and told the media that this general strike and the mobilizations are “against all governments, against employers and against property owners, against all those responsible for this housing crisis.”
Del Río stated that “homes must be places to live” and criticized all governments “of every stripe” that, “through actions or omissions,” have defended the interests of property owners and not only failed to solve “the biggest problem affecting Spanish citizens.”
