Spain has been swept by a wave of protests as tens of thousands of citizens voice their opposition to the proposed amnesty for participants in the Catalan independence movement.
The controversial proposal, which seeks to pardon those involved in the unilateral secession attempt six years ago, has sparked a series of impassioned demonstrations outside the Madrid headquarters of the governing Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE).
The amnesty proposal emerged in the wake of July’s inconclusive general election. Despite the conservative People’s Party (PP) securing the most votes, it has been unable to form a government.
However, the PSOE and its allies in the left-wing Sumar alliance have managed to secure the necessary support by promising amnesty to the two main Catalan pro-independence parties.
Cities across the country, including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, and Valencia, witnessed significant protests on Sunday.
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In Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square, protestors brandished effigies of Sánchez as Pinocchio, chanted calls for his imprisonment, and displayed banners with messages such as “Democracy in Spain is at risk”, “Sánchez traitor” and “No amnesty for terrorism—Europe saves us”.
Estimates of the turnout varied, with the PP claiming 500,000 attendees at the Madrid rally, while the central government’s delegate to the region estimated a figure of 80,000.
The PP’s leader, Alberto Núñez Feijoo, accused Sánchez of “buying his investiture in return for giving his partners judicial impunity” and vowed that Spaniards would not remain silent over the amnesty.
These protests underscore the deep-seated divisions within Spain over the issue of Catalan independence and the proposed amnesty. The government now faces the challenge of addressing this widespread public dissent.