Spain
Housing protest camps spread as CGT pushes for a general strike
The mobilisation over the right to housing spread beyond Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, with protest camps in Valencia, Barcelona, Zaragoza and Seville. In Barcelona, the camp in Plaça Catalunya continued to grow and chose to stay despite the storm and torrential rain alert. After Saturday’s marches, the CGT union is seeking a general strike over housing, while CC OO and UGT are weighing their response.
By Damián Ortells ·
Protests over the right to housing have spread beyond Puerta del Sol. Camps have been organised in Valencia, Barcelona, Zaragoza and Seville. In Barcelona, the protest in Plaça de Catalunya continued to grow and decided to remain despite the storm and the alert for torrential rain.
The mobilisation follows large marches that called for a work stoppage. The CGT wants to promote a general strike over housing, while CC OO and UGT are still considering how to respond to the social unrest. Housing has become a focus of protest because of rising prices and difficulties in accessing homes.
For landlords and tenants, these mobilisations may increase political pressure for new measures. They do not in themselves mean immediate legal changes, but they show that the debate over rents, prices and supply will remain highly prominent.