Metalworkers, police clash in Spain amid inflation protest

MADRID (AP) — Metalworkers and police have clashed in southern Spain at the end of a protest march to demand that wages rise in line with the country’s surging inflation rate. Police used rubber bullets to disperse protestors who tried to erect barricades across streets in the city of Cádiz on Tuesday. The demonstration marked the eighth straight day of protests and coincided with a strike affecting the whole province of Cádiz in support of the metalworkers. The inflation rate in Spain has risen to its highest in years, driven up by energy costs. In October, it stood at 5.5%. That has infuriated many people whose wages have stagnated.