A hundred teachers have cut off several access roads to Barcelona and its surroundings early this Tuesday, with disruptions on the B-20 in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, the Gran Via in Can Batlló, the C-32 in Mataró, the C-55 towards Barcelona, and the C-17 in Malla. The protest began shortly before seven in the morning and coincided with the peak hours for commuter traffic.
The mobilization has moved the strike from the educational sphere to the road network. Among the trapped vehicles were buses bound for the airport that tried to turn back while protesters called for support for the strike and chanted slogans against the Minister of Education, Esther Niubó, and the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon.
The B-20 and Gran Via registered the first closures before seven
The first incident occurred on the B-20, in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, at the height of exit 19 and in both directions. Almost at the same time, another group of teachers has cut off Gran Via in the Can Batlló area and there were also additional blockages on the same road in Mundet.
During the protest, participants have displayed banners with slogans such as "We are burned out" and "More social resources and less police". The action has been concentrated at entry and passage points towards Barcelona with the objective of giving visibility to the strike day from the first hour.
On the B-20 and Gran Via, several drivers have been stopped by the blockades. Some buses heading to the airport have tried to turn to find alternative routes.
The cuts extended to Mataró, Malla and the C-55 towards Barcelona
Around 7:20, the protest has expanded to other points in the territory. Protesters have blocked the C-32 in Mataró towards Barcelona, there has been a slow march on the C-55 also towards Barcelona and another blockage on the C-17 at the height of Malla.
The extension of the actions has coincided with megaphone calls to reinforce participation in the strike. In one of those messages, attendees announced the arrival of "two cloister colleagues" in allusion to police infiltration in a teaching assembly.
A patrol of the Mossos d'Esquadra has gone to the area to supervise the situation. Their presence has provoked chants of "Less police, more education" among those gathered.
Eight buses left from Tarragona to join the Urquinaona column
The mobilization also had prior organization from Tarragona. Eight buses have left for Barcelona with stops in Falset, Valls, Montblanc, La Selva del Camp, and Torredembarra to join the unified demonstration planned in the Urquinaona column.
Noé Muñiz, spokesperson for the USTEC union in Tarragona, has placed the protest within a framework of joint pressure from the sector.
"For the moment there is no data on the follow-up of the strike in the territory, but we consider that it will be important and that it is the moment to exert pressure in a unified manner" - Noé Muñiz, spokesperson for USTEC in Tarragona
The movements from Tarragona have been coordinated to converge in Barcelona with the rest of the called columns. The coaches have made stops in Falset, Valls, Montblanc, La Selva del Camp and Torredembarra before joining the demonstration in Urquinaona.