Thousands of protestors took to the streets last night (article in Castilian) around 8pm in a unauthorised march against the eviction of 53 students from the University early yesterday morning. According to a spokesperson from the Sindicat d'Estudiants dels Països Catalans, Arnau Mallol, up to 5,000 people took part but the Guàrdia Urbana put the figure at around 2,500. The Servei de Emergèncias Mèdiques (SEM) treated 23 students and 32 Mossos who incurred injuries in the violence that erupted when the police charged the protestors, including broken bones and fractures. Students and their supporters reached Portal de l'Angel where they did a sit-down protest. Minutes later they marched onto Calle Fontanella and towards Via Laietana where confrontations occurred once more. Journalists reporting on the chaos were caught up in the charge and some also sustained injuries.
Rafael Olmos, the director general of the Polícia Autonómica, justified the actions of the police against what they claimed were "very violent" students, whilst the Sindicat d'Estudiants dels Països Catalans spoke out about the "brutality" of the police. The director of the police assumed total responsibility for the charges against the journalists.
At least one person was arrested. Of the six people arrested after the initial eviction at the University, all of them have since been released.
Catalan teachers will today stay away from work (article in Castilian) for the third time as they strike over the future of the Llei de Educació and the education policy of the Generalitat. According to initial sources between 70 and 80 percent of primary teachers and more than 60 percent of secondary school teachers will be taking part. The Education Minister Ernest Maragall has emphasised he will not alter the government plans but proposes to "recover the confidence" of the teachers.
Many schools have sent out letters to parents explaining the causes of the strike and asked them to support them in their strike action—the teachers and their supporters will march on Plaça Universitat at 12pm. The teachers are angry that the proposed changes to the Llei de Educació were brought to parliment without the prior consultation of the major teaching unions. The first protest, which occured on February 14th, 2008, saw up to 50,000 teachers and students march against the proposed changes in law. The second march saw lower attendance figures due to unions CCOO and UGT opting to not strike.
The teachers accuse Maragall of negligence and an incapability to resolve the real problems that exist in the public school system, such as the overcrowding in classrooms and the lack of building the required new schools.
Figures released yesterday showed that the price of non-newbuild flats (article in Castilian) in the areas of Ciutat Vella and Sant Marti have fallen the most compared to other areas in the city—Ciutat Vella saw a 23 percent drop and Sant Marti an 18 percent. Comprarcasa and the network of Agentes de Propiedad Inmobiliaria (API) released data that showed that the fall in prices of apartments citywide has fallen by 11 percent this year, making the average price of flats €4.181 per square metre square. In total, of the 11 areas studied in the city, 10 of them have seen a drop in price since last year. The president of API, Joan Ollé, predicted a levelling out of prices by the end of 2009.