Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s bill would guarantee amnesty to thousands of Catalan separatists.
Thousands of far-right protesters rallied on Tuesday against Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez outside the headquarters of the Socialist Party to oppose his proposed law that would grant amnesty to thousands of Catalan separatists.
A controversial proposal pushed by Sánchez would grant amnesty to those Catalans who were involved in the movement that pushed the autonomous region to secede from Spain in 2017. The law change would help him form a government in the country with Catalan parties.
On Tuesday, nearly 7,000 people gathered to demonstrate. In the clashes between the demonstrators and the police, almost 40 people were injured, of which almost 30 were police officers. In addition, six people were arrested for disturbing the peace, according to local authorities.
Earlier, some of the protesters had tried to enter the country’s parliament, but the police had surrounded it.
The new government should be formed this month
The demonstrators had been called by numerous far-right groups and the far-right Vox party, which was represented at the event by the leader of the party’s parliamentary group Pepa Millan. He told the crowd that the party had come to demonstrate peacefully.
On Monday, thousands of protesters had gathered outside the Socialist Party’s party offices in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. Sánchez criticized the “harassment” caused by the protesters on social media, accusing their behavior of being an attack on democracy.
Sánchez must form a new government in the country by November 27. Otherwise, the country’s parliament will be dissolved and new elections will be held in the country.
Sources: AFP, AP