Thousands protest against amnesty law put forward by Socialists and pro-independence parties

Thousands have protested against an amnesty law put forward by the Spanish Socialists and the Catalan pro-independence parties on Sunday at midday in all the main cities of Catalonia: Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona, and Lleida, and in Spain's capital, Madrid. 

The demonstration is part of the protests seen these last days against the deal reached between the left-wing party and the Catalan ones to reelect Pedro Sánchez as Spanish PM. 

Barcelona saw around 6,500 people gathered at Plaça Sant Jaume square, according to local Guàrdia Urbana police, outside the Catalan government headquarters and the city hall. Meanwhile, in Madrid, dozens of thousands rallied in Puerta del Sol square, just outside Madrid's regional government headquarters. The People's Party said that around 500,000 people attended the protest, while the government delegation said there were 80,000 people. 

The demonstration in the Catalan capital was organized by the Cataluña Suma por España civil society group, and many protesters chanted 'Amnesty is bullshit,' or 'Puigdemont to prison.'

Barcelona against 'Spain splitting up'

At the event in Barcelona, there were leaders of pro-union right-wing parties, such as the People's Party and Ciudadanos, and far-right Vox. 

"Sánchez is creating a privileged group that can be criminals without any consequences," Alejandro Fernández, head of the People's Party in Catalonia, said to media outlets before the demonstration started. 

The PP will "work to reverse the situation with a political and institutional action coordinated among all Spanish municipalities, regional governments, and the Spanish Senate," he added, as the PP has a majority in the upper chamber.

Carlos Carrizosa, Catalonia's Ciudadanos president, has called for a new Spanish election as "it is obvious" that Pedro Sánchez does not accept the result of the July 23 vote. 

"We are here, the ones that we continue to stand up to the independence push and ask for equality among Spaniards," Carrizosa said. The party he represents did not run for the Spanish Congress in July after losing many city councils in the local elections in May. 

Vox councilor for Barcelona Gonzalo de Oro-Pulido has called for a "peaceful demonstration but without rest" to face "the start of the end" of the Spanish democracy. During a short speech to media outlets ahead of the demonstration, he also said that the Spanish government has to feel the people's disagreement now that 40 years of tranquility and coexistence have ended, as he said. 

For Vox, the Socialists are "the main reason why Spain is splitting up." 

"We encourage everyone to demonstrate every day and not to trust the Socialists." 

The motto of the demonstration was 'Not in the name of Spain, no to an amnesty.'

Madrid: 'Spain does not give up'

The demonstration in Madrid, organized by the People's Party and backed by far-right Vox, filled up the city center with posters reading: 'Sánchez traitor." Some demonstrators had posters, handed by organizers beforehand, reading 'Spain standing up' and 'Spain does not give up.' Others, for example, rejected the 'lawfare' and said that actions were done properly in reference to part of the amnesty law deal.

At the event, there was the People's Party president, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, as well as other leaders such as the conservative president of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, or the, also conservative, former Spanish PM, José María Aznar.

During the last week, there have been nightly violent protests in Madrid, in front of the Socialist's headquarters on Ferraz Street. Several detentions and criminal acts, including 13 arrests and four police injured on the night from Saturday to Sunday.

Far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal also attended the demonstration but did not speak from a podium with the PP logo. He addressed media outlets and said that it is necessary to have a "permanent protest" as a response to the "coup d'etat" that is taking place in Spain because of the several deals to back Pedro Sánchez in his prime ministerial bid.

Amnesty for independence push 

The simultaneous demonstrations across Catalonia and across the main cities of Spain's regions, come after the Socialists reached a deal with Catalan pro-independence Esquerra Republicana (ERC) and Junts on an amnesty in exchange for the support in a prime ministerial bid. 

Pedro Sánchez will now be reelected as PM as 179 members of Congress will back his bid, but it was all down in exchange for some requests, such as an amnesty law regarding all those judicial cases related to the independence push of the last decade.  

The Socialists had already negotiated an amnesty law with Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya. However, Junts considered that the amnesty text signed with the other party was insufficient and demanded that the future law also include cases not directly related to the 2017 independence push, which they consider "lawfare.”

The new text will include citizens and those responsible "before and after the 2014 non-binding self-determination referendum and from the 2017 vote that have been prosecuted or are in judicial processes linked to these events," as the text reads. 

All those people going from 2012 to 2023 could "be eligible for this amnesty law," Cerdán said before adding that "no specific names were agreed, that will only depend on the judges." 

The text, which is still not public but has prompted thousands to demonstrate against it in Madrid and in Barcelona during the last few days, as well as the European Commission asking for more detailed information, is expected to be put forward in Congress on Monday.