Thousands of protesters marched through Barcelona on Saturday, demanding lower rents in Spain’s second city.
Barcelona, which has already taken action to stop the spread of holiday apartments, is the latest Spanish city to see protests for cheaper housing.
Backed by left-wing parties and unions, demonstrators gathered in central Barcelona behind a giant banner reading ‘Lower rents’.
“Today a new political cycle begins regarding housing,” Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson for the Catalan Tenants Union, the main organiser, told reporters.
“Investors should not come to our cities and play with the apartments like a game of Monopoly,” she added.
The union would target “profiteers” who “take half of our salaries,” Arcarazo said.
The demonstrators demanded a 50 percent reduction in rents, indefinite leases and a ban on “speculative” sales of buildings. They threatened a rent strike.
An estimated 22,000 people took part in a similar demonstration in Madrid on October 13. Campaigns have been launched in other cities.
According to the specialist website Idealista, rental prices per square meter across Spain have increased by 82 percent over the past ten years.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the average salary has increased by 17 percent in that time.
Facing pressure from a housing crisis, the government passed legislation in 2023 calling for more social housing, greater rental restrictions in high-demand areas and fines for owners who don’t own properties.
But rents have continued to rise as the government has battled with city and regional authorities to get some parts of the law enforced.
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