Spain police clash with activists over evacuation of old woman

Clashes have erupted between Spain’s riot police and activists in the northwestern city of A Corunia over the evacuation of an old woman from her house in the ancient city.

Clashes with the riot police broke out on Thursday when activists refused to clear the area to allow bulldozers to destroy the property of 72-year-old Isabel Lopez.

Some activists chained themselves to the roof of the property to stop the eviction of the elderly woman.

Police had failed to evict Lopez from her home last year due to public protests and some firefighters’ refusal to participate in the operation.

According to the police, the woman has fallen behind her rent payments.

Meanwhile, a leading Catholic charity organization said last month that one in four people in Spain are living in poverty.

According to the report by Caritas released in late October, the number of poor Spaniards has risen by 4.4 million since the country was hit by economic crisis in 2008.

The charity organization further reported that 77 percent of those living in poverty are jobless while 61 percent are struggling to have a place to live.

The report added that some half a million families in Spain do not have a source of income.