Two arrested as thousands protest against housing crisis at Congress Hall

A man and woman have been arrested for public disorder and assaulting officers during a protest over the housing crisis held this Monday outside the Congress Hall on Barcelona's Avinguda Diagonal.

The road was blocked for four hours as around 2,000 people, according to local police, occupied the street to demand solutions to the housing crisis from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez who was attending an event in the Congress Hall.

The Mossos d'Esquadra police reported that the demonstration proceeded without incident until 9pm, when several individuals began throwing objects at the police line and attempted to breach the barricades.

The police force added that several warnings were issued to the activists and public order units were deployed.

Demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Maricarmen, you are not alone," "You landlords are the terrorists," and "I don't want to spend my entire salary just to live in my neighborhood."

The building was protected by a series of barriers, some of which were knocked over by protesters. Once the barriers fell, the activists advanced slightly, but the police cordon prevented them from gaining further ground.

The rally in Barcelona coincided with others called at short notice throughout the day across the country. Gatherings were held in 23 cities, including Alicante, Badajoz, Córdoba, A Coruña, Huelva, Madrid, Oviedo, Seville, Zamora, and Zaragoza.

Further rallies are expected on Tuesday and Wednesday in Jaén, Jerez, Huesca, and Almería.

The protests come as the Spanish government is expected to present a new decree law to strengthen protection for renters and against evictions. Activsts are protesting in order to pressure the government into unveiling as strong protections as possible.