Madrid, 11 November 2026. In the early hours, pickets (piquetes informativos) connected with the nationwide huelga general briefly blocked several routes into Madrid. According to consistent reports from the authorities and the media, this occurred on the motorways A-5, A-6 and A-42 as well as on sections of the M-30 where individual lanes were occupied. This caused rush-hour queues and delays, although most routes remained open.
The Ministry of the Interior (Ministerio del Interior) had instructed the police and the Guardia Civil the previous day to prevent violence and the setting up of obstacles, while also protecting the right to strike. The instruction focused in particular on securing critical infrastructure and supply centres. On this basis, officers cleared several isolated blockades on the main routes into the capital in the morning. There were no reports of widespread, prolonged closures.
The city council’s traffic control centre, the Ayuntamiento de Madrid, reported unusually severe disruption on the routes mentioned during the rush hour. Commuters were advised to use public transport or alternative routes. Traffic returned to normal in many places after the morning peak, although there were some residual effects in isolated areas.
The situation at major supply centres remained manageable overall. From Mercamadrid came reports of operations returning largely to normal after a turbulent start in the early morning. The reports reviewed mentioned arrests or charges only in isolated cases, for example for resisting law enforcement officers. There were no indications of a widespread escalation by late morning.
Observers point to the dual task facing the security forces: upholding the constitutionally protected right to strike while also ensuring freedom of movement and supplies. According to the authorities, the operations were intended to clear short-lived disruptions without affecting peaceful work stoppages. The relevant authorities also reminded people of the minimum service levels for public services, which had been set before the protests.
The events were not confined to individual neighbourhoods, but affected key access routes from the surrounding area. The precise timings of individual clearances and the length of queues varied by section. Overall, the morning saw locally limited disruption, swift police responses and a gradual easing of the situation as the day went on.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).