Málaga general strike: police charge at bus depot, one picket arrest

A general strike brought pickets onto the streets of Málaga overnight, with reports of police charges at the bus depot and an arrest in the city centre. Málaga Hoy also described the city as broadly normal despite the early-morning picket activity.

Key facts

• Bus depot: The Olive Press said officers charged at protesters who tried to stop buses leaving the local depot shortly after 5am on Wednesday.
• Central picket: Police estimates put the main picket at around 250 people, according to Diario Sur.
• Arrest: Local police detained one picket member for criminal damage in the historic centre, Diario Sur reported.
• Separate arrests: Three Latvian nationals were detained over a container fire in the Guadalhorce industrial estate.

Tension at the bus departures

Málaga Hoy reported tension and police charges as buses left during the strike. The Olive Press, which published video, said officers used batons against protesters at the depot. The sources do not give further detail on injuries or numbers at that location.

A second Málaga Hoy report said the city was normal despite the pickets' activity in the early hours. The two accounts are not necessarily in conflict: they describe disruption at specific points and the general picture across the city.

Overnight pickets and arrests

According to Diario Sur, the first action of the strike set off from Plaza de la Constitución. At a meeting before the march, organisers told attendees to inform workers in a "friendly, peaceful way, without falling for provocations", as Diario Sur quoted them.

The picket, which police estimated at about 250 people, moved from the square towards Calle Granada. During the night it went on to other key sites, including Mercamálaga, the goods transport centre, and the EMT (the municipal bus company).

Diario Sur said the Policía Local (local police) arrested one picket member near the square. Police sources told the paper the arrest was for criminal damage, after the person was allegedly caught spraying graffiti on building facades in the historic centre.

Separate container fire

Diario Sur also reported that local police made three other arrests in connection with the strike-day operation, over a fire in containers on Calle Washington in the Guadalhorce estate. The Subdelegación del Gobierno (the central government's provincial office) ruled out any link between the three, who are Latvian nationals, and the strike itself.

What it means for residents

Anyone relying on city buses or deliveries around Mercamálaga and the EMT should check with the operators for the latest service information. The sources do not name the strike's organisers or give its full scope, so details should be confirmed with official channels.