100,000 march in Madrid against amnesty for Catalan independence leaders

Around 100,000 people gathered at noon in Madrid on Sunday to protest against the amnesty for Catalan independence leaders.

Acting Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez gave his support for an amnesty on Saturday.

With the slogan 'For unity! Against the amnesty and the coup of Sánchez', the rally was supported by the far-right political party Vox and various other Spanish organizations.

The banners, speeches, and chants called Sánchez's support for an amnesty "treasonous," suggesting the move will open the door to a future independence referendum.

The leader of far-right Vox, Santiago Abascal, accused the Socialists of wanting to "perpetrate" the Catalan "coup" from the Spanish government itself. 

He also said that Spain is "in danger and threatened by the Socialist party" and said Sánchez will go down as "the most corrupt" leader in Spanish history.

Leader of the conservative People's Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, attended another demonstration against amnesty in Málaga, where he urged rank and file members of the Socialist party opposed to the amnesty to speak up against its approval.

"If the few who raise their voices decide not to do anything, they will be just as complicit as those who remain silent and those who applaud," Feijóo said. 

On Saturday, Sánchez gave his explicit support for an amnesty for Catalan independence figures, calling it a method to "heal wounds" and foster "coexistence" in Catalonia.

An amnesty has been cited as a prerequisite for any negotiations between the Socailists and Catalan pro-independence political parties for them to give their support to Sánchez's bid to be named Prime Minister for another legislature.