Violent riots break out across Spain ahead of elections

A popular tourist hotspot has descended into total chaos as hundreds of thousands of protesters wreak havoc in Spain.

Wild scenes played out across Barcelona and Madrid on Wednesday local time, as hordes of locals protested housing affordability and purchasing power just weeks before an early general election.

In the pouring rain, some 120,000 demonstrators marched through central Madrid carrying placards shaped like houses and chanting “We have no home” as they called for more affordable housing, according to an estimate by the authorities.

Violent clashes broke out after rallies in Barcelona and Madrid, as groups of hooded and masked protesters hurled projectiles at police and set rubbish bins on fire.

Police used rubber bullet launchers and tear gas to disperse the small groups, with 18 people arrested in Barcelona.

Australia’s Smartraveller website urges Australian tourists to exercise normal safety precautions in Spain while acknowledging the protests.

“Protests and demonstrations have occurred in parts of Spain,” their website states.

“Clashes between police and protesters have occurred in Madrid, resulting in transport disruptions.

“Even peaceful demonstrations can escalate quickly and become violent. Avoid areas where protests or large public gatherings are occurring.

“Monitor local media for the latest updates and follow the advice of local authorities.”

Spain welcomed a record 96.8 million international tourists in 2025, continuing a multi-year surge that makes it the second most-visited country in the world, according to Spain Tourism Statistics.

“People work a lot, and it isn’t enough to pay the rent, to pay for a house,” Paula Diaz, a 25-year-old theatre technician who lives with her parents, told AFP at the Madrid protest.

“I hope a government that benefits us comes to power, especially the working class,” she added, referring to the Nov. 29 election.

In Barcelona, where the authorities estimated 55,000 people marched through the city’s luxury Passeig de Gracia commercial thoroughfare, Maria Pinana told AFP “the law of supply and demand does not apply to housing.”

“The price of rents should be regulated,” said the 34-year-old microbiologist, who lives with friends in a flat where parts of the ceiling have collapsed.

Tens of thousands more attended protests held in other cities across Spain. The size of the demonstrations was seen as an indicator of public discontent before the snap election, where the right-wing opposition is predicted to defeat Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

In Madrid, where many shops opened as normal, demonstrators blocked some roads, a picket action that was replicated across the country.

Public transport suffered from disruption even with the implementation of minimum service requirements for commuter trains, metros and buses, especially in and around Barcelona.

In contrast, Madrid’s metro said 93 percent of its trains ran in the early hours, although passenger numbers were down by around half.

UGT union leader Pepe Alvarez told public broadcaster RTVE that the participation was “massive”, with a “total” stoppage in some regions making the strike “a huge success.”

But his union acknowledged participation was “uneven”, with large mobilisation in the car manufacturing, petrochemicals and meat sectors and in coastal regions.

Unions called for the strike following a wave of nationwide protests over access to housing, sparked by the eviction in September of an 87-year-old Madrid pensioner.

Valeria Racu, spokeswoman for the Madrid Tenants’ Union, which has been at the forefront of protests for weeks, vowed to “put an end to the housing business in this country.”

“A new cycle is beginning with trade unionism and conflict at its center. This day of strikes has been a resounding success,” she said.

Sanchez called the election, initially scheduled for 2027, after his minority government failed to secure parliamentary approval for a package of housing measures proposed in response to the demonstrations.

Business groups and the right have rejected the strike, seeing it as an election-related gambit rather than a genuine labour dispute.

But the unions have insisted the strike is directed against all levels of the state and not only the right, which voted down the government’s housing decrees.

They have defended the walkout as an exceptional measure intended to generate broad social pressure for action on soaring housing costs.

Living costs are another major concern, with inflation in Spain hitting 4.9 percent in September and October, its highest level in more than three years.

Isabel Iglesias, a nurse who lives in Madrid, said housing was the issue “that is affecting me the most.”

She pays a rent of $1621 with her partner but earns just $2756 a month.

Iglesias, 27, said Sanchez, who has been in power since 2018, “could have done much more” on housing, urging the next government “to listen to everyone and get their act together.”