Overview

• Demonstrations swept roughly 40 cities on Thursday after a student strike, with authorities counting about 6,500 participants in Barcelona and 4,000 in Madrid.
• Evening rallies in Madrid and Barcelona drew thousands, and police in Barcelona moved to stop attempts to block traffic, prompting brief clashes and object‑throwing.
• Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza‑bound Global Sumud flotilla, and officials said all passengers are safe and being taken to Israel for deportation, including Spanish nationals.
• Spain summoned Israel’s diplomatic representative, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged consular protection for detained Spaniards and said authorities will assess possible actions.
• Student groups announced more protests on 4–5 October and are urging a 24‑hour general strike on 15 October, while CCOO and UGT in Castilla‑La Mancha registered two‑hour workplace stoppages for that date.