Mass protests erupt in Spain over housing shortage and trigger snap election
Hundreds of thousands demonstrated in Madrid and Barcelona demanding affordable housing, while a general strike and a snap election were announced amid a severe housing shortage.
Around 120,000 people gathered in Madrid on Wednesday evening despite heavy rain, joining a nationwide general strike that halted much of Spain’s economy earlier in the day. Demonstrators marched under the slogan “Salaries. Housing. Prices,” demanding action on the country’s housing shortage and soaring rents.
In Barcelona, city officials reported about 55,000 participants in evening marches, while housing activists claimed the crowd was closer to 400,000. Protesters carried a banner reading “Live. Not just survive.”
The strike, the first general walkout in 14 years, was organized by unions including the UGT and focused on the lack of affordable homes. The central bank estimates a deficit of roughly 750,000 homes, projected to exceed one million by 2028. Spain’s youth council says the average rent of €1,176 per month equals 99% of a typical young worker’s salary.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government, which had been blocked by opposition parties on housing reform legislation, called a snap parliamentary election for November 29 and approved two extraordinary decrees with measures similar to the rejected reforms.
"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.
Police used pepper spray at Madrid’s Mercamadrid market, leaving at least 13 people seeking medical care. Small groups of youths in Barcelona damaged storefront windows, set fire to dumpsters and fired fireworks at police.
Airlines reported flight disruptions as airport and airline staff participated in the strike. Political reactions varied: the government described the action as “in favor of rights,” while People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo dismissed the notion of a strike against the opposition as “an absurdity.” A doorman interviewed in Madrid said he would not join, calling the protest “nonsense” and suggesting the government supported it to gain votes in the upcoming election.