BARCELONA (Reuters) - About 22,000 people protested in Barcelona on Saturday, in the latest demonstration to demand lower housing rental prices and better living conditions.
Housing has become a major issue in Spain as it struggles to balance promoting tourism, a key driver of its economy, and concerns over high rents due to gentrification and landlords shifting to more lucrative, short-term tourist rentals.
The price of rentals signed in the second quarter of 2024 in Barcelona was almost 70% higher than in the same period of 2014, data from the Catalan Housing Agency shows.
"We are spending half our wages in rent ... This must stop!," said Carme, 28, a spokeswoman for a tenants union.
Smaller protests were held across Catalonia, and in Burgos, Asturias in north Spain and Jerez de la Frontera in the south.
The government announced a crackdown on short-term and seasonal holiday lettings in July and plans to investigate listings on platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com to verify if they have licences.
Demonstrations have been held this year in Madrid, the Canary Islands and Malaga, where seasonal hospitality workers struggle to find accommodation, with many sleeping in caravans or even their cars.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize....
A second aid ship carrying 10,080 tents provided by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) has departed from Mersin Internation...
German Chancellor Merz addresses foreign companies and congratulates Azerbaijan and Armenia on peace deal...
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Tuesday that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft with Ukrainia...
Israel was cleared on Thursday to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, a decision made by the organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which sparked a major controversy.
Eight more suspected cases of African swine fever have been found near Barcelona as Spain battles to contain growing damage to its multi-billion-euro pork exports.
The Spanish agricultural sector has been placed on high alert following the confirmation that African Swine Fever (ASF) has resurfaced in the country for the first time in over thirty years.
Former Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos was taken to Soto del Real prison on Thursday following a ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court ordering his pre-trial detention over a corruption scandal that has embroiled Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s left-wing government.
Authorities in Japan lifted all tsunami warnings on Tuesday following a strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck off the northeastern coast late on Monday, injuring at least 30 people and forcing around 90,000 residents to evacuate their homes.
Pressure is mounting between Venezuela and the United States as both nations emphasise military preparedness and strategic positioning.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Tehran has protested to Washington because of the travel ban on its football team delegation as well as Iranian fans who would like to travel to the United States for the upcoming World Cup matches in 2026.
Paramount Skydance (PSKY.O) has launched a $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O). The escalation follows a high-stakes battle that had appeared to end last week when Netflix secured a $72 billion deal for the studio giant’s assets.
A group of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute to protest the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
German Chancellor Merz addresses foreign companies and congratulates Azerbaijan and Armenia on peace deal
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Tuesday that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that his country and European partners will soon be ready to present the United States with refined documents outlining a potential peace plan.
The United States Senate is set to vote on Thursday on a Republican-backed plan aimed at addressing expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced on Tuesday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment