Police deploy tear gas against vandals in Barcelona amid Spain-wide strike

Security forces intervene in conflict escalation

Situations in Barcelona escalated during the first nationwide strike in Spain in the last 14 years. Police had to disperse some demonstrators who moved from peaceful demands to acts of vandalism and direct clashes with law enforcement.

According to BBC, masked youths set fire to waste bins and smashed shop windows. In response to these actions, police deployed tear gas. Attempts at looting were also recorded: protesters tried to break into an Apple Store. Several dozen offenders were detained at the scene.

Scale of the peaceful part of the actions

Initially, the protest events proceeded peacefully. In Barcelona, 50,000 people took to the streets, expressing dissatisfaction with the cost of living and the situation in the rental housing market. In the Spanish capital, Madrid, the number of demonstrators exceeded 120,000.

Political context of the events

Early parliamentary elections will be held in Spain on 29 November. They were called at the initiative of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez against the backdrop of the failure to pass the housing reform he proposed.