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Social crisis | Spain: Protest against housing shortage and rising prices continues
The general strike in Spain ended with large demonstrations in Madrid and Barcelona. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets across the country.
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The tenants' union "Sindicato de Inquilinas" also took part in the general strike in Spain. Photo: dpa/ZUMA Press Wirte/Richard Zubelzu Madrid. After demonstrations against the housing shortage and rising prices in Madrid and Barcelona, incidents broke out in both cities. Demonstrators and police clashed after the protest marches on Wednesday. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse small groups of protesters who set fire to garbage containers and threw objects, according to AFP reporters.
According to the authorities, around 120,000 people protested in Madrid on Wednesday in view of the housing crisis and rising prices. The demonstration in the center of the Spanish capital marked the end of a nationwide general strike. According to the city police, around 55,000 people took to the streets in Barcelona.
The housing crisis has been one of Spain's most pressing social problems for years. Many people can no longer pay the ever-increasing rents. The unions are calling, among other things, for the construction of 1.5 million social housing units in the coming years and a ban on the eviction of vulnerable tenants.
The latest wave of protests was triggered by the forced eviction of an 87-year-old pensioner in Madrid in September. She died a few days later.
A dispute over measures proposed by the government for more tenant protection ultimately led to the left-wing head of government Pedro Sánchez calling new elections for November 29th. Sánchez, who has been in power since 2018, supports the protest movement, but is also criticized for his housing policy. According to surveys, the conservatives and right-wing extremists are currently ahead in favor of voters. The conservative People's Party and the right-wing extremist Vox Party reject the strike. AFP/nd
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