Six arrests and 30 police officers injured in second night of clashes in Madrid

A second night of clashes outside the headquarters of the Socialist party in Madrid ended with six people arrested: five men and one woman aged between 19 and 44, and a minor aged 17, according to sources from Spain's Interior Ministry. 

Thirty officers from Spain's National Police were injured. 

Almost 7,000 people gathered on Ferraz Street to protest against the Socialists' negotiations with Catalan pro-independence parties over an amnesty law. 

The Socialists' headquarters were shielded by a police cordon, but at around 10pm tensions boiled over, objects were thrown and members of the crowd attempted to break through. 

Officers responded by charging and firing tear gas and blast balls.

Clashes

There was a heavy police presence at the demonstration on Tuesday night, which attracted almost double the number of people as Monday night's anti-amnesty protest.

The front line of protesters began to throw objects and firecrackers around 10pm, with police responding first with warning shots and driving vehicles in circles on Marqués de Urquijo Street, which led to some of the crowd dispersing. 

After charging the remaining protesters and firing blast balls and tear gas, police regained control outside the Socialists' headquarters, although some clashes continued throughout the area, with small groups of young people moving trash containers and launching bottles. 

By around 10:45pm, the scene outside Socialist party headquarters was one of police sirens and ambulances attending to the injured amid broken bottles and spent firecrackers on the ground. 

Sánchez 'outraged' at 'violent' attacks

The interim head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, expressed his "outrage" at the "violent" attacks and vandalism outside his party's headquarters building. 

Sánchez met with the workers of the building on Wednesday and conveyed his support to them, reaffirming the "commitment to values and the Socialist project."

The party leader also affirmed that the aggression will not "intimidate" the Socialist Party.

Feijóo: When you give amnesty to violence, you cannot give lessons

The leader of the People's Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, condemned the violence in Madrid in recent nights, but qualified his comments with attacks on his political opponents.

"Violence has no place in democracy and must always be rejected," he said, adding that such scenes must be denounced whether they come from left-wing protests or the right.

However, he clarified that while violence is incompatible with democratic values, so is the "impunity" he feels is being shown to Catalan pro-independence leaders in the context of a potential amnesty deal for referendum organizers.

"When you give amnesty to violence, you cannot set an example or a lesson to those who condemn it," Feijóo explained.

PP: Sánchez has generated outrage

Elias Bendodo of Spain's conservative People's Party condemned the violence in an interview with Spanish public broadcaster TVE but said: "Pedro Sánchez is responsible for having generated outrage among the Spanish people." 

However, Socialist Party spokesperson and acting Spanish Education Minister Pilar Alegría criticized PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo for not making a "resounding condemnation" of the violence. 

According to Alegría, the violence is a consequence of the fact that the PP has focused its message on "delegitimizing" the government of Pedro Sánchez and has refused to accept "the sovereignty of the people that was expressed on July 23" in the general election. 

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont asked wryly when the Spanish king would send a message to "go get them," ie the protesters, referring to the monarch's televised message on October 3, 2017 when he criticized the Catalan government in the wake of the independence referendum. 

Negotiations between the Socialists and Puigdemont's Junts party continue, with an amnesty sure to be included in the deal, as it was in the ERC-Socialists pact.

Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez needs the votes of both pro-independence parties in Congress to be reelected Spanish PM after July's inconclusive election.