Spanish truckers call off nationwide strike after low turnout

A Spanish truckers’ group suspended a nationwide strike after the protest aimed at pushing for government aid to soften the blow of surging costs met with a lukewarm response. 

Rafael Alamillo, first secretary of the National Platform for the Defense of Transportation, confirmed the protest had been halted after what the group dubbed a smear campaign by the government and other unions to dissuade drivers from joining it. 

The government deployed more than 50,000 police on Monday to prevent a repeat of a strike organized by the same platform in March that snarled up supplies of food and goods across the country for almost two weeks.