Reuters. Violence erupted during housing protests and a general strike in Madrid and Barcelona on Wednesday night (November 11).
In Madrid, police shot tear gas at protesters and beat them, while in Barcelona, protesters lit garbage bins, bicycles and rubbish on fire.
Four million Spanish workers took part in a general strike on Wednesday, unions said, enduring stormy weather to set up picket lines in a protest against the country's housing affordability crisis less than three weeks before a snap general election.
It is the first general strike since workers downed tools in 2012 against austerity measures during the euro zone debt crisis. The walkout is backed by Spain's two largest unions, UGT and CCOO, representing more than a million workers, as well as tenants associations angry about rising rents and evictions.
