Violent protests after Spain reinstates hard lockdown

Posted by Anita Froneman on 4 November 2020

The Spanish government has approved a new six-month nationwide State of Emergency on Sunday, November 1.

Government has also reinstated a lockdown and several restrictions have been set in place to curb the spike in COVID-19 infections the country is currently experiencing.

However, many residents are strongly opposed to a new lockdown and have taken to protesting. According to The Guardian, 32 protesters were arrested and 12 injured in Madrid on Saturday, October 31 after a demonstration in protest against the midnight to 6am curfew. Protesters set trash cans alight, looted stores and some were involved in physical confrontations with the police.

‘We have to protect our economic and work activity and preserve, as far as we can, the rhythms of our lives,’ said Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez.

‘Sacrifices will be indispensable. No one, not the government of Spain nor its regional governments, want to impose a single restriction that isn’t necessary to flatten the curve and protect public health.’

The country’s tourism industry is facing dire challenges as tourist arrivals fell an astronomical 87% since 2019, reports IOL. During the first nine months of 2020, Spain welcomed around 75% fewer visitors than in the same period of 2019, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said.

These statistics show just how detrimental the country’s first lockdown due to COVID-19 had been to the economy, especially for a country that sees some 80 million tourists each year. The industry normally contributes up to 12% of Spain’s GDP.

Interestingly, the Canary Islands -which are under Spanish rule- are exempt from most of the lockdown restrictions due to their ‘very positive epidemiological situation there,’ Sánchez said.

Picture: Twitter/Shellysbed






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