Tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded Barcelona’s Passeig de Gràcia during an 11-N general strike that disrupted transport and thrust housing costs to the forefront of Spanish politics.
Ara.cat reported that while the general strike failed to shut down the economy, it disrupted daily life. Organizers intended the mobilization to send a powerful warning ahead of an upcoming electoral campaign that will determine the future of housing policies across the country.
The mobilization drew support from neighborhood strike committees and the Sindicat de Llogateres alongside major labor unions such as CCOO and UGT. Public transport minimum services were set at 25 percent during peak hours by the Generalitat, creating severe mobility hurdles across Barcelona from early morning alongside blockades at Mercabarna and industrial zones like Seat.
Electricity consumption data showed a 10 percent drop in demand during the early morning hours compared to the previous week before normalizing later in the day. Business associations including the CEOE estimated the strike turnout at 5 percent, while right-wing parties heavily criticized the unions and the mobilization.
Guardia Urbana figures placed the afternoon protest participation in Barcelona at 55,000 people, while delegations reported 120,000 participants in Madrid alongside large turnouts in Valencia and Bilbao. The demonstrations in Barcelona ultimately concluded with clashes between masked individuals and Mossos d’Esquadra alongside reports of commercial vandalism.
“If any housing achievement, such as rent caps, is rolled back, mobilizations and strikes will be repeated,” said Enric Aragonès, spokesperson for the Sindicat de Llogateres, told Ara.cat.
The demonstrations directly targeted soaring living costs and housing affordability just before the start of the electoral campaign.
Political reactions divided sharply along ideological lines as the Partido Popular directed pointed criticism at labor organizations. Isabel Díaz Ayuso urged party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo to confront union influence, while Vox dismissed the general strike as a political spectacle supporting the central government.
Far-right Catalan independence leader Sílvia Orriols confronted picket members directly in Ripoll. Meanwhile, evening marches in Barcelona merged into a cross-generational gathering at Jardinets de Gràcia where participants demanded higher wages alongside lower housing costs.
The demonstration at the intersection of Passeig de Gràcia and Gran Via deteriorated into skirmishes as police deployed anti-riot tactics against groups attempting to breach local storefronts.
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