Protests over housing flare in Spain after relief measures rejected

Fresh protests over housing flared in Madrid and other Spanish cities on Saturday, a day after parliament rejected the government's proposed relief measures for tenants. The rallies by protesters extended a crisis that has gone on for more than a week, triggered by the September 23 forced expulsion of a pensioner from her Madrid flat.In the southeastern city of Valencia, demonstrators clashed with police who fired rubber bullets and ​tear gas to ​break up protests.Valeria Racu, spokesperson for the ​Tenants Union, ⁠told reporters in Madrid that a general strike would be called after talks with labour unions."There is a lot of anger in the streets," a spokesperson for the Valencia Tenants' Union said. Clashes have taken place between some protesters and police in the city. Hundreds of protesters have been occupying a tent city set up a week ago in the heart of Madrid to press for reforms.
The measures put forward by Pedro Sánchez's leftist coalition government on Friday followed public outcry over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home last month after she was unable to afford a sharp rent increase. Her eviction triggered nationwide protests across Spain with protesters demanding lower rents, an end to evictions, and a ban on investment funds - or "vulture funds" as the government has termed them - buying property.
Far-right activists, some of whom performed Nazi salutes, tried to reach demonstrators camped out in the Puerta del Sol, a central square in ​the Spanish capital, to protest the housing crisis, the Spanish government ​said.About 70,000 protesters took part in Saturday's demonstration in Madrid, the Spanish government ⁠said. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez might call a snap election for November after the ‌legislation ⁠failed to pass and would be watching the strength of Saturday's protests before deciding, Spanish media reported. The  government's proposed measures, which included automatic renewal of tenancy contracts and restrictions on evicting vulnerable tenants, were voted down by opposition parties on Friday in Spain's parliament.