In pictures: serious riots in Barcelona and dozens arrested during the first general strike in Spain in 14 years

Image source, ReutersPhoto caption, In the heart of Barcelona there were barricades, bonfires and assaults on businesses. Author, Nick Beake, Guy Hedgecoe and Alba MorgadeAuthor title, BBC NewsPublication date 11 November 2026, 16:59 GMTUpdated 20 minutes agoReading time: 8 minGroups of protesters clashed with police and caused serious disturbances in Barcelona on Wednesday during the protests that accompanied Spain's first general strike in 14 years. The strike was called by the country's main trade unions over the housing access crisis and the high cost of living. According to local authorities, some 120,000 people joined a demonstration in Madrid and more than 50,000 did so in Barcelona, where images showed masked individuals setting fire to rubbish containers and smashing shop windows while police used tear gas. Transport and other public services suffered disruptions across Spain, while unions called on citizens to demonstrate in the country's various cities. Spaniards are due to vote in the parliamentary elections on 29 November. Image source, ReutersPhoto caption, Some hooded protesters used pyrotechnic devices in their clashes with police. Image source, ReutersImage source, EPAPhoto caption, The strike's turnout was higher in Barcelona than elsewhere in Spain. The general secretary of the UGT union, Pepe Álvarez, described the strike as a "success" and highlighted "massive" participation, while Unai Sordo, of the Comisiones Obreras union (CC. OO.), said turnout was "very significant". On Wednesday afternoon there was a heavy police presence in central Barcelona, with officers equipped with helmets and riot shields. Some of the clashes took place on Passeig de Gràcia, near the iconic Plaça de Catalunya, in the city centre. Skip Most read and continue readingMost readEnd of Most readSmall fires broke out in the streets where the disturbances occurred. Local media reported that a group of people used pyrotechnic devices against police and looted several establishments, including the Lego store. Protesters were also seen trying to enter the Apple store. Image source, ReutersPhoto caption, Barricades were formed and bonfires lit in central Barcelona. Image source, ReutersImage source, ReutersPhoto caption, Several shops were vandalised. Throughout the day there were major disruptions in the areas around Madrid and Barcelona, where traffic was interrupted on several main roads. The Ministry of the Interior reported the arrest of dozens of people over various incidents. Attacks on real estate agency offices were also reported. "We have brought the city to a complete standstill," a protester in Madrid told the Reuters news agency, adding that the general strike had broad support. "Everyone is out, despite the rain. People have taken to the streets," he said. Image source, ReutersPhoto caption, Some pickets blocked roads. Image source, EPAImage source, ReutersPhoto caption, Clashes between protesters and police began on Tuesday night in some places. Another protester, Olga Domingo, a 37-year-old teacher, explained that she was taking part in the protest because the Government "keeps applying austerity cuts" and "the housing situation is outrageous". "The current cost of living, compared to wages, is completely unsustainable," she added. The strike was triggered by widespread protests demanding affordable housing and denouncing the rising cost of living. The protests followed the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, 87, from the Madrid flat in which she had lived for seven decades. The woman died in hospital weeks later. Image source, EPAImage source, Getty ImagesPhoto caption, Public transport was also affected by the strike. Image source, ReutersRents in the capital have soared in recent years. In October, renting a 50-square-metre flat in Madrid cost an average of 1,170 euros a month (US$1,300), according to the property portal Idealista, while the average gross monthly salary in Spain is around 2,460 euros. That rent is equivalent to almost half the average gross salary, well above the 30% affordability threshold usually recommended by housing experts and public institutions. The Prime Minister, the socialist Pedro Sánchez, called early elections last month, after Parliament failed to approve his housing reform plan. Image source, ReutersPhoto caption, The slogan of this 11 November strike was "Wages, housing and prices". Image source, EPAPhoto caption, Protesters burned tyres in the city of Gijón, in northern Spain. Spain had not held a general strike since 2012, under the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy. Although previous strikes posed a problem for the government of the day, this one is different: Sánchez and his ministers have even encouraged workers to join it and demand affordable housing. "Your eight-hour day. Your pension. Your public healthcare. None of this fell from the sky. They were collective achievements," Sánchez wrote on his social media, where he praised those who took part in previous strikes. For its part, the conservative Popular Party (PP) has accused the Government of trying to instrumentalise the strike for electoral purposes. The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, whose party leads the polls, said the general strike is a "nonsense". His spokesman, Miguel Tellado, accused the Government of exploiting the strike to warn voters of the consequences of forming a right-wing government, which is considered the most likely outcome of the 29 November elections. "What is nonsense is calling into question the rights of workers," Sánchez told Spanish television this week. Image source, ReutersPhoto caption, Police officers detain a protester in Madrid. Image source, ReutersAmong those taking part in the general strike was Gonzalo Álvarez, 27, who went from one picket line to another in central Madrid. Although he works in sales, he volunteers with a housing union that seeks to protect tenants and inform them of their rights. The eviction of Maricarmen Abascal at the end of September was "the spark" that ignited this protest, he told the BBC. Álvarez knew Abascal, 87, whose new landlords had tripled her rent. He says the treatment she received caused him deep indignation. He rents with his girlfriend, a dental hygienist, in a small one-bedroom flat in the Arganzuela district, in the south of the city. The couple pay 1,000 euros a month, so each of them devotes roughly half their salary to housing, not counting other expenses. "It's complete madness... with food, electricity, water, gas." He sees no possibility of ever owning a home: "You have to save an exorbitant amount of money to be able to buy a house, so with these wages it's impossible." With current rental and house prices, he considers buying a home "completely impossible". Photo caption, Gonzalo Álvarez sees buying a home as unattainable. Image source, ReutersFor his part, Miguel Garrido, vice-president of the CEOE, Spain's largest business federation, criticised the strike and argued that companies have little to do with housing prices. "This is not a strike for labour reasons, but political ones, and it is closely linked to the early elections," he said. The employers' association has estimated turnout in the strike at just 5% nationwide, while the unions have given different regional figures above 50%. The BBC has not been able to independently verify the figures. Electricity consumption in Spain fell by 7.5% during the first hours of Wednesday, according to data from the grid operator Red Eléctrica. During the last general strike, 14 years ago, consumption fell by more than 15%. Image source, EPAImage source, ReutersImage source, ReutersDownload the new BBC World Service app. Choose BBC News Mundo and receive news alerts, documentaries and analysis, all in one place. Important: the new app is not available in the UK or the United States. You can also follow us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X and on our WhatsApp channel. And don't forget to subscribe here to our newsletter to receive a special selection of our best content every Friday.