Madrid public education strike leads to one arrest on Calle Alcalá

Educators, infant school teachers, and university staff blocked traffic on Calle Alcalá outside Madrid’s regional Ministry of Education on Thursday during the second and final day of a region-wide public education strike that resulted in one arrest by police.

The mobilization, which affected the entire educational cycle in the Comunidad de Madrid, featured hundreds of teachers and students colapsing Calle Alcalá almost to the Puerta del Sol to demand improvements in public education. The strike was called by the Coordinadora en Defensa de la Universidad Pública, representing platforms from Madrid’s six public universities, and followed earlier actions including infant educators’ strikes starting April 7 and an indefinite strike by non-university teachers beginning October 14.

Protests and Arrest on Calle Alcalá

During the demonstration outside the Ministry of Education, The Municipal Police arrested one person for disobedience and resistance. Claudia Saralegui, spokesperson for Menos Lectivas, denounced the violent arrest of a teacher who was concentrated peaceably and transferred to the Leganitos police station after allegedly being caused by an agent infiltrated among the teaching staff. Protestors dressed in black also formed a funeral procession carrying green paper carnations to symbolize that public education has died.

Striking Educators Report High Participation Across Multiple Universities

Eva Aladro of the Universidad Complutense por la Pública platform described the second day of the university strike as a success featuring almost all of the faculties are closed with a 95% follow-up at universities including the Complutense, Politécnica, and Autónoma. Following the morning information pickets and concentration, organizers planned an afternoon demonstration starting at 5:30 p.m. from Atocha to the Puerta del Sol.

It remains unconfirmed how the regional authorities will respond to the ongoing demands of the striking educators across all educational cycles.

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