The rejection of the amnesty has concentrated 170,000 people at noon this Saturday in Madrid, according to data from the Government Delegation, in the first large demonstration against the measure of pardon to those accused of the procés held after the investiture of Pedro Sánchez. The massive protest has filled the Plaza de Cibeles and the surrounding streets, in a call promoted by a hundred associations and civic forums close to the right and the far right. The initiative was presented as a defense of the Constitution and the future of Spain which, according to the promoters, are at stake "to be or not to be" because of the pact sealed by the PSOE with the pro-independence forces. The organisers intervened amid shouts of "Sanchez, to prison!" and "Sanchez, delinquent!" from the attendees.
The PP, Vox and Ciudadanos parties had stirred up the mobilisation, especially after the candidacy of the already president of the Government went ahead in Congress by an absolute majority of 179 votes, this Thursday. On his arrival at the rally, in statements to the media, the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, demanded that Sánchez not build "walls" or "put pressure on society" and said that "it is one thing to have power and another thing to be right". For his part, the president of Vox, Santiago Abascal, has revealed that he has asked Feijóo for a meeting "to coordinate the institutional response" to the amnesty, both in the autonomous communities where the two right-wing parties govern and in the Senate.
The protest was the largest of those held so far against the amnesty, according to data from the Government Delegation. Those organized by the PP last Sunday brought together more people, but only if the demonstrations held in the different provincial capitals are added. The proclamations that were heard this Saturday in Cibeles were similar to those chanted at previous rallies and at the doors of the national headquarters of the PSOE, in Madrid's Calle de Ferraz, such as "Spain, united, will never be defeated!", and "Puigdemont, to prison!". The event was attended by, among others, the philosopher and writer Fernando Savater: "One thing is the right to difference and another thing is the difference of rights, that different rights are invented for Spaniards and that there are first and second class Spaniards", he said from the stage, cheered by applause from the audience that followed the interventions.
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The demonstration in Madrid against amnesty, in pictures
Among the attendees were people of all ages carrying Spanish constitutional and European Union flags, with the PP logo, and banners with slogans such as "Spain is sold for seven votes", "protected coup plotters, abandoned Spaniards" or "I am a trilero and I got the investiture with my face", in allusion to Sánchez. Among those concentrated, there were residents in Madrid and nearby municipalities, but also from other provinces of Spain. Such as a group of people around 60 years of age who had chartered a bus to come from Murcia to the protest, or those who had been caught visiting the capital of Madrid, such as Alejandro Muriel, 47, owner of a renovation company in Gavá (Barcelona). "Let's see if it changes this a little bit. It's a shame that they're selling out for four more years," he said.
The Popular Party has flexed its muscles in the protest, seconded by several territorial leaders, such as the president of the Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras; the one from Aragon, Jorge Azcón; and that of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, in addition to other members of the executive such as Esteban González Pons and Elías Bendodo, together with Feijóo. "We are in a very complicated moment in our democracy. The alarms and alerts of our democracy are on," said the leader of the PP. "We come to ask the government that has already been invested, that it is one thing to have power and another thing to be right. That it's one thing to have got enough deputies, but he knows he doesn't have the votes to do what they're doing," he added.
The leaders of the PP at the protest. Jaime Villanueva
For her part, Ayuso has charged against Sánchez, attributing to him the purpose of creating two irreconcilable sides in Spanish society. "They're fabricating, creating two sides. A side in which arbitrariness and the change of rules count. And all of us who don't agree with changing everyone's Spain are already practically cornered as if we were fascists. This must be stopped," said the president of Madrid. Feijóo left the rally, shaking hands and greeting the attendees, amid shouts of "Strength, President!" and "Resist!"
For his part, Abascal revealed upon his arrival that he has asked Feijóo for a meeting to analyze the possibilities of the Senate, where the Popular Party holds the absolute majority, to stop the law. Abascal has acknowledged that both parties maintain "legal differences", because while the PP believes that the passage of the law through the Senate is a mere procedure that can take at most to take longer, he believes that a report by the senior lawyer of the Upper House questioning its constitutionality would be enough to flatly refuse to process it. "We should be able to sit down and talk about it," he said of his meeting with Feijóo.
The ultra leader has assured that "the consummation of the coup, which has already begun with Pedro Sánchez's pact with all the enemies of Spain, will be the approval of the amnesty law". And he added: "We cannot give up the battle, we must continue to resist with sustained social mobilization, give a coordinated institutional response in the regions where there is no coup majority, and in the Senate; and communicate to all our international allies what is happening in Spain." Without expressly quoting Feijóo, he added: "You have to take personal risks."
Abascal has avoided, once again, condemning the groups that provoke altercations every night in the protests next to the headquarters of the PSOE, limiting himself to pointing out that "Minister [Fernando Grande] Marlaska is responsible for the violence. He has wanted to criminalise the mobilisations and pit the agents against the Spanish people. Don't count on us for that." On the other hand, the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has said that "the protests were better before Vox arrived", and has pointed out that the parties should not have a leading role in these rallies. Faced with criticism from Javier Ortega Smith, vice-president of the ultra party and Madrid councillor of Vox, who described the police response as disproportionate, the mayor has defended the action of the State Security Forces, except "if some type of questionable action can occur, as two media outlets have denounced, in which case the corresponding channels would be followed", he added in relation to the arrest of a journalist from El Mundo and another from El Español.
"Let's go to the Moncloa!"
The protest ended around one o'clock in the afternoon with the national anthem. Afterwards, a large group marched towards Carrer de Ferraz, walking along Gran Vía and Princesa, which the police closed to traffic. Some 3,000 demonstrators have gathered next to the federal headquarters of the PSOE, according to the Government Delegation. However, when they reached the intersection of Princesa and Gran Vía, several hundred people continued on their way in a straight line shouting "Let's go to La Moncloa", in reference to the seat of the Presidency of the Government.
The manoeuvre seemed to surprise the police, who were overwhelmed and, first, let the demonstrators continue to the entrance of the A6, the motorway of A Coruña; and then to the outer wall of the Moncloa Palace, awaiting reinforcements. There were moments of confusion as protesters moved through cars stuck in the traffic jam until all three lanes of entry to the capital were cut off. About 300 demonstrators have remained next to the presidential complex and many of them have sat in front of the agents who blocked their way shouting "Sánchez, bastard, look out on the balcony" or "Marlaska brave, brave son of a bitch".
Although no demonstration of this type had so far reached the residence of the President of the Government, the attitude of the majority was peaceful, despite the verbal aggressiveness of some participants, such as Vox MEP Hermann Tertsch, who recorded a message crying: "Here we are in Moncloa, in front of the guard of the scoundrel, the lair of the tyrant, the leader of the criminal alliance that has taken power in Spain illegally and illegitimately. Here we are and we'll be back as many times as it takes."
After more than an hour, and although those who insisted on staying accused the others of being cowards, the demonstrators ended up returning towards the centre, pressured by the agents, who urged those who were lagging behind to speed up their pace, while many of the cars that were driving in the opposite direction leaving Madrid greeted them by honking their horns. and all lanes of the A6 have been reopened.
Tens of thousands of people in the vicinity of the Plaza de Cibeles, during the demonstration. Jaime Villanueva
Thousands of people crowd the vicinity of the Plaza de Cibeles with banners and flags. Borja Sánchez-Trillo (EFE)
A Spanish flag flies during the anti-amnesty protest in Madrid on Saturday. SUSANA VERA (REUTERS)
The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo (center) and the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso (third from the left), together with other popular leaders, this Saturday during the demonstration against the amnesty, in Madrid.Jaime Villanueva
Participants in the demonstration against amnesty, in Madrid, this Saturday. Borja Sánchez-Trillo (EFE)
The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, and the president of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, greet the demonstrators participating in the protest against the amnesty, which runs through the center of Madrid. Jaime Villanueva
A protester holds a sign with the slogan "Sanchez, I like fruit" on Saturday in Madrid. Borja Sánchez-Trillo (EFE)
A man kisses a parrot during a demonstration against amnesty, this Saturday in the surroundings of the Plaza de Cibeles.Gabriel Luengas (Europa Press)
Thousands of people during a demonstration against the amnesty, this Saturday in the Plaza de Cibeles. Diego Radamés (Europa Press)
Thousands of people in the Plaza de Cibeles during the demonstration against the amnesty, this Saturday. Jaime Villanueva
A woman holds part of a giant Spanish flag during a protest in Madrid on Saturday. Diego Radamés (Europa Press)
Participants in the demonstration against amnesty, in the center of Madrid, this Saturday. Ricardo Rubio - Europa Press (Europa Press)
A T-shirt with a phrase against the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, during the protest against the amnesty held in Madrid. Gabriel Luengas (Europa Press)
A woman holds a Spanish flag next to European Union flags during a protest against amnesty in Madrid. Gabriel Luengas (Europa Press)
Several people hold banners with the image of Miguel Ángel Blanco, a councillor in Ermua who was murdered by ETA in 1997. FERNANDO ALVARADO (EFE)
The leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal, upon his arrival at the demonstration, this Saturday in Madrid. JAVIER SORIANO (AFP)
Thousands of people crowd the vicinity of the Plaza de Cibeles, this Saturday. JUANJO MARTIN (EFE)
People hold flags of the European Union, Spain and Catalonia during the demonstration in Madrid. SUSANA VERA (REUTERS)
The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, greets Elías Bendodo, general coordinator of the party, on his arrival at the demonstration against the amnesty, held this Saturday in Madrid. Jaime Villanueva
From the left, the popular leaders Elías Bendodo, Cuca Gamarra, Rafael Hernando and Estebán González Pons, upon their arrival at the demonstration held this Saturday in Madrid.Jaime Villanueva
Photos allowed from the Town Hall
The Madrid City Council allowed media photographers to climb to the roof of the Palacio de Cibeles, headquarters of the Consistory, to capture images of the demonstration. The municipal administration governed by the PP, which expected a massive attendance, thus changes the criterion maintained during the last mandate (2019-2023), when it banned access on more than one occasion – a controversial measure that was criticized by the opposition, especially when it was prevented from taking photos of the massive protest against Madrid's public health system in November 2022, which brought together 200,000 people, according to the Government Delegation in Madrid, and 670,000, according to the organizers.
According to municipal sources at the time, the criteria for access were always the same: it was only allowed at major events, such as Pride, the march on 8 March, the Three Kings Parade and Real Madrid celebrations. Now, however, the criteria has changed and photographers are allowed to enter. "We are doing it in the face of the flood of requests," explain sources from the municipal Communication area.
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