Housing crisis protesters loot stores and set bins ablaze as they clash with riot police in Spain

Protests turned ugly in Spain as housing activists started to smash storefronts, set bins on fire and launch fireworks at police who arrived in riot gear and armored vans.Tens of thousands took to the streets earlier today for the country's first general strike in 14 years in a nationwide protest over soaring rents and real estate prices across Spain.Millions of Spanish workers shut down businesses and public transportation for the walkout under the slogan 'Salaries. Housing. Prices.'After mostly peaceful marches across the country, riots began to break out in Barcelona and Madrid, as protestors were seen smashing storefronts in the cities, while some launched fireworks at police officers.Others lit small bonfires in front of stores and set bins alight as protestors continue to clash with riot police, with officers forced to use pepper spray against the crowdsBefore the clashes late in the day, police had already made 39 arrests across Spain for strike-related incidents. The anger reached a boiling point following the eviction of pensioner Maricarmen Abascal, 87, on September 23.Ms Abascal after she was removed from the Madrid flat she had called home for more than 70 years when she was reportedly unable to afford a steep rent increase. Demonstrators burn containers during a protest march as part of a nationwide general strike in Barcelona on November 11 Police charge outside an Apple Store as riots erupt following a protest during a nationwide general strike in Barcelona A protestor kicks the door of a store plastered with stickers reading 'closed due to general strike' After a mostly peaceful march in Barcelona, riots were seen breaking out across the city People launch fireworks as protesters clash with riot police during the protests Riot police clash with protesters in Barcalona Protesters hit a police car with a fence in Barcelona during a 24-hour nationwide general strike Millions of Spanish workers shut down businesses and public transportation for the walkout under the slogan 'Salaries. Housing. Prices.' Before the clashes late in the day in Barcelona, police had already made 39 arrests across Spain for strike-related incidents Police officers also clashed with protesters in Madrid, with officers using pepper spray against crowds in some places A protester holds a garbage can during clashes with the police in Madrid Police officers clash with protesters, the country's first general strike in 14 years People watch from a shopping building as police use pepper spray as riots erupted in Madrid Police officers arrest a man at Gran Via in Madrid during the national strike Police charge outside an Apple Store as riots erupt following a protest during a nationwide general strike in Barcelona A demonstrator walks past burning dumpsters as protestors clash with police A looter carries a box of Lego bricks out of a shop after riots erupted in Barcelona Protesters use a metal fence to try to force their way into an Apple Store in Barcelona Fireworks explode among a line of policemen as riots erupt in BarcelonaShocking scenes showed the frail grandmother being carried from the property on a stretcher in September, an incident that sparked nationwide protests and a political row. Ms Abascal was taken to hospital following the court-ordered eviction and it was announced on Saturday that she had died. 'We regret to announce that Maricarmen passed away today,' Madrid Tenants' Union said, adding that her case marked 'a turning point in the history of this country'.Abascal was carried from the property on September 23 following a dispute over a proposed 275 per cent rent increase.Footage showed riot police forcing their way through a barricade of chairs, shelves and a lamp as supporters attempted to prevent the court-ordered eviction.It comes as Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called a snap election after his government suffered a major legislative defeat over emergency housing measures. The average rent in Spain has almost doubled in the last decade, eating into household budgets and upsetting voters. In recent weeks, thousands of Spaniards have taken to the streets demanding action on housing affordability, with public anger intensified by the widely publicised eviction of Ms Abascal,But proposed housing reforms were later rejected by parliament, sparking fresh protests across the country.Referring to the rejected measures, the Madrid Tenants' Union said: 'While a historic agreement was reached that would have allowed her to return to her home, this solution has come too late.'An absolutely avoidable situation after a torturing process.'Spanish government officials estimated 120,000 people turned out in Madrid despite pouring rain. The strike culminated in workers and average citizens gathering in downtown Barcelona and Madrid, along with protests in other cities. Housing activists said 400,000 marchers filled Barcelona, while the city government said 55,000 turned out to walk behind a huge banner that said 'Live. Not Just Survive.' Protestors are seeking the automatic renewals of leases as a way to protect renters and other measures, while unions are demanding more public housing and a new minimum wage agreement.Carlos Ferrer, a 45-year-old customer service worker who was trying to get back home to Alicante by train from Barcelona, said that sometimes only 'radical measures, such as a general strike' can force a change of course.'Authorities need to feel pressure from the citizens so they can do something,' he said.As the evening fell in Madrid, the wide Paseo del Prado boulevard became a sea of umbrellas as a huge crowd turned out during steady rain.Almudena López, 74, said: 'My son is 43 years old and still doesn't own a home as he cannot afford one.'She added her son, who works in IT, has to rent a small room in a shared apartment.'When I was young, if you had a university degree, you could get a job by saving a bit, which always required some sacrifice, but you could manage. 'It's nothing like it is today.' The anger reached a boiling point following the eviction of pensioner Maricarmen Abascal, 87. Ms Abascal after she was removed from the Madrid flat she had called home for more than 70 years when she was reportedly unable to afford a steep rent increase While the strike was organized by Spain's two traditional major unions, it featured the leadership of a grassroots housing activist group, mostly made up of younger people who have felt the housing pinch personally.'This strike is against rent seekers, against real estate speculators, against the large companies that get rich by selling properties and, of course, against all the levels of government,' housing activist Valeria Racu told reporters in Madrid. 'We are here to show that we have the capacity to mark our own agenda and we are going to keep doing so no matter who governs.'Unions also hailed the strike as a success, while Spain's business owners' groups argued that it had fallen flat.'The strike has exceeded the labor unions' expectations,' said Unai Sordo, secretary-general of CCOO, one of the two unions calling the strike for a nation of 22 million registered workers.CCOO and UGT, the other major union organizing the strike, reported significant work stoppages in strategic sectors. They said that the stoppages amounted to 90 per cent in the automotive and port sectors, 85 per cent in the meat industry, 82 per cent in waste collection and 75 per cent in the energy sector. The leading business owners group, CEOE, however, called the strike a 'failure', saying that overall participation only reached 5 per cent.Where unions and the CEOE agreed was that worker participation was higher in heavy industry and transportation, while it lagged in other sectors of the economy like retail and restaurants.About 5 per cent of flights for Wednesday were canceled at airports across Spain, according to the country's airport operator, AENA.