Barcelona, Spain

Mireia Arnau (39) reacts behind the broken glass of her shop, stormed by demonstrators clashing with police in Barcelona, during a general strike on 29 March.

The national strike was called in protest against the government’s labor reforms. In an ongoing climate of economic difficulty, parliament was proposing stringent cuts, as well as measures aimed at making it easier for businesses to fire employees.

Spain’s unemployment was running at over 24 percent, the highest in the European Union, with half of under 25s out of work. Most protests across the country were peaceful, but in Barcelona some demonstrators hurled rocks at banks and shop fronts.