The protesters refuse the amnesty project currently being negotiated by the left with the independence parties of Catalonia, to obtain support for the inauguration of the socialist Pedro Sanchez as head of government.
“Spain is not for sale!”, “No amnesty!”, displayed the signs. Numerous demonstrators, many brandishing Spanish flags, marched on Sunday October 29 in Madrid at the call of the far-right Vox party against a proposed amnesty for Catalan separatists. Around a hundred thousand people participated in this gathering, according to the authorities, more than 100,000, Vox said without further details.
The possible amnesty is negotiated by the left with the independence parties of Catalonia, a region in the north-east of Spain, to obtain their essential support for the inauguration of the socialist Pedro Sanchez as head of the Spanish government. It arose after the legislative elections of July 23, after which the socialists came in second place behind the conservatives of the People’s Party.
The right, without an absolute majority, failed to form a coalition, paving the way for the formation of a new left-wing government. But Pedro Sanchez needs to be returned to power the support in Parliament of the Catalan independence parties ERC (Republican Left of Catalonia) and JxCat (Junts per Catalunya). The latter was at the origin of an aborted secession attempt by Catalonia in 2017. Its main instigator, Carles Puigdemont, fled to Belgium to escape Spanish justice.
An amnesty “to stay in power”
The request for an amnesty, which could benefit more than 4,000 people involved in the events of 2017 (the worst political crisis in decades in Spain), is denounced by the right and the far right, but is also criticized by within the socialists themselves. It has given rise to several protest demonstrations in recent weeks.
📸 See miles of people at the Plaza de Colón!
📢 How we say alto and clearly to Sánchez:
🇪🇸 ¡VIVA ESPAÑA! 🇪🇸
¡NO A LA AMNISTÍA!
¡NO AL GOLPE DE SÁNCHEZ! #NoEnMiNombre 💪🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/Awa6NiVBWH
— VOX Madrid (@madrid_vox) October 29, 2023
On Sunday, demonstrators gathered in the Plaza de Colon to shouts of“Send Puigdemont to prison!”. In front of the crowd the leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal, accused Pedro Sanchez of threatening Spanish unity and of only seeking an amnesty “to stay in power”. “What shame, what indignity, what betrayal!”he said.