Police use batons against teachers in Madrid as protests escalate

Protests by striking teachers against the education policy of the regional government led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso have led to clashes with police in Madrid.

Hundreds of demonstrators blocked the entrances to the Santoña Palace in the centre of the Spanish capital where the conservative regional president was attending an event on Monday.

Police moved against the protesters to clear access to the building.

The RTVE television channel broadcast pictures of teachers who were demonstrating peacefully being struck with batons and pushed back.

Ayuso accused the Socialist Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the "anti-democratic left" of orchestrating a "strategy of personal and institutional harassment" against her.

Elsewhere, some 200 teachers blocked the A-3 motorway on the outskirts of Madrid using school desks and chairs, which caused significant traffic disruption. The protest ended after about an hour.

The region's Education Minister, Mercedes Zarzalejo, cancelled a planned visit to a school due to the increasingly tense atmosphere.

The teachers are demanding more staff and funding for public education, smaller class sizes and better working conditions.

The indefinite strike in the Madrid region began on Wednesday. The trade unions accuse the conservative regional government of being unwilling to engage in talks regarding their demands.

On the first day of the strike, a major police operation took place on the campus of the Complutense University, resulting in five arrests and several injuries.

The police have launched an internal investigation after images of the operation sparked public outrage.