Thousands march in Madrid against amnesty for Catalan independence leaders

Thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday in Madrid to protest against the proposed amnesty law for Catalan independence leaders that has been agreed by the Socialist Party and pro-independence groups.

Under the slogan "Not in my name," the demonstration filled Plaza de Cibeles two days after Pedro Sánchez's reelection as prime minister of the country.

The rally, convened by a hundred entities and associations, such as pro-Spanish unity group Societat Civil Catalana (SCC), also had the support of the People's Party, Vox, and Ciudadanos.

"The amnesty is the tip of the iceberg," Conxi, one of the protesters, told the Catalan News Agency.

"We are aware that we are part of Europe and Europe must also defend us against other Spaniards," said another demonstrator in a square where European flags with the logo of the European People's Party were flown.

The protest comes after fifteen nights of protests and riots which turned violent outside the headquarters building of the Socialist Party in Madrid.

Although those gathered on Saturday repeated some of the chants heard in the violent demonstrations, such as "Puigdemont in prison" or "Pedro Sánchez son of a bitch," the general tone of the protest was calm.

The delegation of the Spanish government in Madrid said around 170,000 people attended the rally, despite claims from organizers that the number was close to one million.