Peaceful nationalist uprising sparked by socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez who promised amnesty to violent Catalan separatists who participated in failed push for Catalan independence in 2017.
Millions of people across 42 cities in Spain have taken to the streets in response to the socialist government’s plan to stay in power by offering amnesty to Catalan separatists.
The uprising was sparked by socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s promise of amnesty to violent Catalan separatists who participated in the illegal and failed push for Catalan independence in 2017.
Sanchez, head of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE), offered amnesty in exchange for their support of his rule, a move many Spanish citizens view as an illegal attempt to stay in power.
The streets of Madrid today are covered with Spanish patriots
They are standing against globalist socialism
They will not allow their nation to perish pic.twitter.com/uy4Igu7E9h
— Jack Poso ?? (@JackPosobiec) November 12, 2023
@malaga , like all cities in Spain, are peacefully demonstrating against Spain’s socialist PM who’s bending justice so he can stay in power.
From caretaker to undertaker of Spain. https://t.co/THXZ72gsX5 pic.twitter.com/ExtFKsgmk6
— Xavier de Hennin (@xdehennin) November 12, 2023
Nearly 1 million protesters gathered in Madrid alone, according to reports.
There may actually be over a million Spanish patriots protesting today in Madrid against the socialist coup
I’ve never seen anything like this
Media can’t hide it anymorepic.twitter.com/2VrUd42drw
— Jack Poso ?? (@JackPosobiec) November 12, 2023
Vean la Puerta del Sol de Madrid a reventar contra Sánchez y Puigdemont. Pásalo porque ni el Gobierno ni la Sexta querrán que veas estas imágenes ?? pic.twitter.com/756tg33kyR
— Javier Negre (@javiernegre10) November 12, 2023
NOW – Spain: Protest at the Plaza de Belluga against the amnesty of far-left separatists in Murcia. pic.twitter.com/bYq5rrhtLx
— Eatlovepray2 (@Eatlovepray22) November 12, 2023
From The Guardian:
The issue of an amnesty arose after July’s inconclusive general election. Although the conservative People’s party (PP) finished first, it has proved unable to form a government, even with the support of the far-right Vox party and other, smaller groupings.
However, the PSOE and its partners in the leftwing Sumar alliance have been able to muster the necessary backing by promising the amnesty to the two main Catalan pro-independence parties in return for their support. Sánchez is now expected to win congress’s approval to be reappointed prime minister in a debate and vote towards the end of this week.
Protests were held on Sunday in towns and cities across the country, including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia.
People congregating in the capital’s Puerta del Sol square carried effigies of Sánchez as Pinocchio, chanted, “Prison for Pedro Sánchez” and carried banners with messages includin: “Democracy in Spain is at risk”, “Sánchez traitor” and “No amnesty for terrorism – Europe, save us”.
The uprising also comes days after Alejandro Vidal-Quadras, the co-founder of the country’s conservative Vox party, was shot in the face by a would-be assassin in Madrid.
The conservative People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo accused Sanchez of “buying his investiture in return for giving his partners judicial impunity.”
“The office of prime minister of Spain can’t be an object to be bought and sold,” said Feijóo. “Spaniards want democracy, equality, justice and dignity. Spain has never sold itself, and they [the PSOE] have tried to cover up the fact that they lost. The prime minister of Spain will always be the person that’s won the elections.”
Vox Party leader Santiago Abascal likewise stated that the Spanish people would not tolerate Sanchez’s socialist coup.
“It is tremendous that whoever is carrying out a coup d’état to the institutions, to the rule of law, asks for restraint, asks for legitimacy…no restraint, calm or tolerance in the face of the coup d’état: permanent mobilization,” he said Sunday, adding the protests represented the “most delicate moment in Spanish politics in the past 40 years.”
Abascal a los medios, en Puerta del Sol:
“es tremendo que quien está dando un golpe de Estado a las instituciones, al estado de derecho, pida mesura, pida legitimidad… ninguna mesura, calma o tolerancia frente al golpe de estado: movilización permanente”. pic.twitter.com/LovFE4tAEd
— Capitán Bitcoin (@CapitanBitcoin) November 12, 2023
Sanchez pushed back against the mass protests in remarks on Saturday, urging them to “abandon the reactionary path” they’ve taken.
“I ask them to respect the result at the ballot box and the legitimacy of the government we will soon form,” he said. “I ask them to be brave and to say no to the bear-hug of the far right, and to abandon the reactionary path that they’re currently following towards the abyss. We will govern for all Spaniards – for four more years of social progress and coexistence.”
Pido cordura y mesura al PP.
Que acepte el resultado de las urnas y la legitimidad del Gobierno que muy pronto formaremos. Que sea valiente y diga no al abrazo del oso de la ultraderecha y abandone la senda reaccionaria por la que hoy avanzan hacia el abismo.
Gobernaremos para… pic.twitter.com/5ax4VsZo6P
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) November 11, 2023
