Anti-Data Centre Protests Planned Across Europe

INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS

The strike was called amid mounting public anger over the cost of living, driven by rising housing costs, stagnant wages, and inflation, which has been exacerbated by the global fuel crisis resulting from the Iran war. In late September, the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her Madrid apartment following a rent increase triggered protests across the country. On 5 October, after parliament rejected emergency housing relief decrees, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap general election for 29 November.

The strike falls the day before the Diputación Permanente, the parliamentary body that sits while parliament is dissolved, votes on 12 November on re-issued versions of the housing decrees, and two days before the official election campaign begins on 13 November.

The cost-of-living crisis has almost certainly compounded other pressures on Spain’s political system, including high-profile corruption scandals involving several of Sánchez’s relatives and associates, and the ongoing crisis in Ceuta, triggered by a surge in migrant arrivals in July. The Urda train collision disaster has further fuelled public anger towards the government and rail authorities. It was Spain’s second mass-casualty rail accident in under a year, following the January 2026 Adamuz disaster, which killed 46 people.

The strike will almost certainly trigger severe transport and service disruptions throughout Spain. Reduced public transport capacity, cancellations, and delays are likely to cause significant congestion on alternative routes and increase pressure on available transport services. Disruptions may be particularly pronounced around major transport hubs and central urban areas, where demonstrations and picketing activities are expected to coincide with reduced services. The cumulative impact of overlapping industrial action and existing rail service suspensions is highly likely to affect mobility and business operations beyond 11 November.

The impact of the unrest will almost certainly vary between regions. Areas with the highest civil unrest risk include Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia, Andalusia, the Basque Country, and Galicia. The Balearic and Canary Islands are also highly likely to be affected by the strikes, as they host some of the country’s largest anti-tourism groups, who have staged repeated large-scale protests against growing housing costs in recent years.

Most protests are likely to remain peaceful. However, the high degree of political polarisation driven by the recent crises and the participation of several small activist groups make it likely that isolated cases of violence will occur in large urban centres. Any violent unrest is most likely to occur in the late afternoon and evening, when smaller groups may remain in city centres after the main rallies have ended and most protesters have dispersed. Earlier in the day, isolated clashes are possible near gathering points and along march routes, particularly where picket lines are formed.

There is a realistic possibility that isolated incidents of unrest will involve vandalism and property damage, particularly targeting businesses perceived to embody grievances relating to housing costs, economic inequality, or tourism, such as banks, letting agencies, or offices of multinational companies. In Barcelona, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands, previous protests involving anti-tourism groups have included incidents in which foreign visitors were targeted, such as tourists being sprayed with water pistols. Similar episodes cannot be ruled out, particularly in popular tourist destinations.