A crowd of 40,000 Spaniards took to the streets of Madrid on Sunday to protest the possible plans to grant amnesty to Catalans who face legal trouble for their roles in the separatist bid six years ago, reports Spanish news site EFE. The crowd held Spanish national flags and displayed signs, with some referring to Sanchez as a “traitor”.
The Catalan independence movement seeks the independence of the Catalonia region from Spain. In October 2017, the Catalonia separatists carried out an independence referendum that resulted in 90 percent of those who voted being in favour of the split from Spain. However, shortly afterward, the Spanish Constitutional Court unanimously held that the referendum was unconstitutional and void.
The legal consequences of this decision entailed that Catalan failed to acquire independence from Spain. Moreover, Catalan officials who declared independence faced criminal repercussions. During this period, the Spanish Constitutional Court also nullified Catalonia’s independence declaration.
EFE reported that the amnesty might be offered by the Socialist Party in exchange for Catalonian support of the acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who seeks to stay in office beyond the July elections. However, there is a clear divide and escalating tensions due to the possible plans to grant an amnesty to Catalans. The opposition conservative People’s Party (PP) opposes the amnesty, deeming it to be unconstitutional.
Gregorio Casteneda, a pensioner who travelled from Santander on Spain’s north coast to express his opposition to any amnesty, spoke to Reuters, stating, “I am not in favour of the government that we have. To me this is a disaster because it is going to divide Spain totally.” Alberto Nunez Feijoo, the leader of the PP, publicly opposed the proposed measure to grant an amnesty at the demonstration.