Due to expensive housing, the first general strike in 14 years began in Spain. Protesters blocked highways and hundreds of flights were canceled across the country.
The protests gained momentum after an 87-year-old pensioner in Madrid was evicted from the apartment she had lived in for 71 years. On the day of the evacuation, the woman was taken to the hospital, where she died in October. The strikers demand to curb rent increases, protect tenants from eviction and raise wages.
In Barcelona, protesters set tires on fire at a wholesale market and blocked the entrances to Sants train station. In Madrid, the police used pepper spray. At least 13 people needed medical help. At least 26 people were arrested across the country.
In Catalonia, about 50 road closures and other obstacles to traffic were registered in the morning. By 10 am, 234 flights were canceled in Spain, 85 of them at Barcelona airport.