Barcelona housing protesters clash with police as Spain heads for snap election on 29 November

From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026.

Nearly 30 Catalan police officers were injured and 13 people arrested after housing protesters battled riot police in Barcelona overnight, with burning barricades and missiles including stones, bottles and flares hurled at police lines. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the snap election yesterday after his government's emergency housing decrees were voted down in parliament last week. The crisis was ignited last month when the televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid sparked nationwide outrage.

Up to 120,000 people marched through Barcelona's city centre, demanding a general strike over soaring rents and property speculation.

The Barcelona clashes came two days after a similar protest in Valencia erupted into violence, with metal fences thrown at riot police.