Barcelona is experiencing new protests of major symbolic significance: striking teachers and lecturers blocked the world-famous Sagrada Família on Monday morning, temporarily bringing one of Spain’s most important tourist attractions to a standstill. Visitors were forced to wait outside, tickets were refunded, and the Catalan capital once again descended into traffic disruption and protest-related chaos.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
by Marlon Gallego Bosbach
Teachers set up a “classroom” outside the basilica
As early as 8 a.m., hundreds of teachers gathered in the Eixample district. Forming a human chain, the demonstrators transported school desks, tables and chairs from the “La Sedeta” educational centre directly to the famous basilica designed by Antoni Gaudí. There, they symbolically set up an improvised classroom in the open air.
The action had immediate consequences: the Sagrada Família was unable to open its doors as planned. Tourists from around the world were left standing outside closed entrances, while security personnel and the Catalan police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, attempted to bring the situation under control. According to Spanish media reports, all entrance fees for the morning had to be refunded.
Videos of the blockade spread across social media within a matter of hours, attracting international attention.
🔴 Cadena humana de taules i cadires cap a la Sagrada Família.
🔶 Els docents en vaga volen blocar l’entrada del temple fent-hi classe a l’aire lliure.https://t.co/EMgykAWFKu pic.twitter.com/qLpdOTgLPK
— VilaWeb (@VilaWeb) May 18, 2026
Background: Weeks-long education strike in Catalonia
The spectacular action is part of a large-scale wave of strikes in the Catalan education sector. Since 11 May, there have been near-daily walkouts, demonstrations and road blockades across various regions of Catalonia. The series of protests is expected to continue until early June.
The trade unions accuse the regional government of having underfunded the public education system for years. They are demanding smaller class sizes, more teaching staff, increased investment in inclusive education, less bureaucracy, and significantly improved working conditions and salaries. A particularly controversial agreement between the Catalan government and the unions CCOO and UGT provides, among other measures, for a gradual 30% increase in regional teacher allowances by 2029, amounting to around €3,000 more per year. Additional funds are also set to be allocated to inclusive education and school trips.
However, many teachers consider this completely insufficient. The union USTEC stated that allegedly “95 per cent of the sector” rejects the agreement.
Barcelona increasingly affected by protests
The blockade of the Sagrada Família marks a new level of escalation. In recent days, protesters have repeatedly paralysed key transport routes in and around Barcelona, including the AP-7, the Gran Via, and several access roads into the metropolitan area. In some cases, this has led to hours-long traffic jams during rush hour.
According to Catalan media, tens of thousands of teachers took part in the latest demonstrations alone. While police reported around 26,000 participants, organisers claimed up to 80,000 protesters.
The protesters accuse Education Minister Esther Niubó of a lack of willingness to engage in dialogue. Some unions are now openly calling for her resignation.
Tourism as a political pressure tool
It is no coincidence that the Sagrada Família was targeted by the striking workers. The basilica is one of the most visited attractions in Europe and an international symbol of Barcelona. Millions of tourists visit Antoni Gaudí’s monumental structure every year.
The teachers deliberately aimed to generate maximum media attention with their action. Union representatives said it was necessary to question why enormous sums continue to flow into tourism while public schools suffer from staff shortages and chronic underfunding.
The conflict is expected to escalate further
There is currently no end in sight to the strikes. Further demonstrations, school walkouts and protest actions in Barcelona are considered likely as long as no new concessions are made. Trade unions have already announced that they intend to increase pressure on the regional government.
For Barcelona, this means, for the time being, more traffic chaos, further protests, and potentially additional disruptions at the city’s tourist hotspots.
