Tens of thousands of people protested across Spain on Sunday, the 12th of November, against Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s proposal to grant amnesty to Catalan separatists in exchange for political support, after the government reached a deal with Catalonia’s separatist Junta party on Thursday and passed a controversial law granting amnesty to those convicted in connection with Catalonia’s 2017 attempt to secede from Spain, reports Reuters.
Sanchez’s deal with Catalan separatists sparked widespread criticism in Spain. Conservative opponents, led by Popular Party (PP) leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, accused Sanchez of undermining the rule of law for personal and political gain.
Addressing the crowd in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square, Feijjo declared: “We will not be quite until there are new elections.”
#EspañaNoSeRinde
No nos callaremos hasta hablar en unas elecciones para decir alto y claro:
? No a la amnistía.? No a la impunidad.? No a la desigualdad.
? Sí a una España de ciudadanos libres e iguales. pic.twitter.com/HJeBQL77A1
— Alberto Núñez Feijóo (@NunezFeijoo) November 12, 2023
The authorities said 80 000 people protested in Madrid, but the PP, which had called for protests in cities across Spain, estimated the number at closer to one million.
According to Reuters protesters in Spain, carrying Spanish and European Union (EU) flags, protested the agreement reached by Prime Minister Sanchez,
carrying signs demanding “respect for the constitution”.
Among the demonstrators were 38 year old banker Tomas Perez, who held a sign calling Sanchez a traitor, and 64 year old Inmaculada Herranz Castro, who expressed disappointment, saying that many voters felt betrayed because Sanchez had not indicated that he would include amnesty in his programme.
Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards are out on the streets today to protest against the decision by the Sanchez government to issue an amnesty to the separatist leaders behind the illegal 2017 Catalan independence referendum@revuelta_es leads the way
?? pic.twitter.com/meycbYvDsl
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 12, 2023
Local police said 6 000 people protested in Barcelona, 30 000 in Granada and 50 000 in Seville. There were also protests in Malaga, Palma and Valencia.
According to Reuters, after the elections on the 23rd of July, the Socialists entered into lengthy negotiations with smaller parties, including Sumar and regional nationalist groups. The support won last week from the Junta and the Basque Nationalist Party gives Prime Minister Sanchez an absolute majority of 350 in the lower house in a vote to be held in the coming days.
Read also: Spain’s Conservatives fail to secure convincing victory in the elections
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