Madrid: Tens of thousands of people have taken part in protests across Spain over the worsening housing crisis after parliament rejected government measures aimed at improving access to housing.
Authorities estimated that 70,000 people joined the main demonstration in Madrid, while organisers put the figure at 500,000. Protests have taken place in 50 Spanish cities and have remained largely peaceful, although clashes was reported in Valencia.
The demonstrations follows growing anger over housing costs and evictions. The issue gains further attention after an 87-year-old woman in Madrid faced eviction. Protesters calls for stronger action and some demonstrators in Madrid carried posters demanding a general strike.
In Valencia, clashes broke out between protesters and police. Officers used rubber bullets and teargas to disperse demonstrators. About 30 people entered the City of Arts and Sciences, a major cultural landmark, before police removed the group from the building.
Far-right protesters also attempted to reach a protest camp in Madrid late on October 3. Police blocked the group. Some participants were reported to have performed Nazi salutes.
The protests followed a parliamentary vote on October 2. The Socialist-led coalition government had introduced 2 decrees containing measures intended to address housing pressures. The proposals included a ban on evictions until 2030 as well as tighter rules for temporary rentals and properties rented by individual rooms.
The measures were rejected after the conservative People’s Party, far-right Vox and Catalan pro-independence party Junts voted against both decrees. The People’s Party noted that the vote reflected the position that increasing housing construction would be a better response to the crisis than regulation.
The protests also shifted the political focus towards housing and have provided renewed attention for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government. The demonstrations come as Spain continues to deal with the wider political impact of other recent events, including developments in Ceuta.
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