Spanish opposition rallies in Madrid against Sanchez government
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Vox and the Popular Party, two far-right opposition parties, rally their constituents in Madrid protesting the Socialist government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
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On these frontlines, we can see Santiago Abascal, Vox party leader, among the protesters (Vox)
Vox and the Popular Party (PP), the main Spanish far-right opposition parties, called on a Madrid rally that gathered tens of thousands of people, on Saturday, to protest against the leftist government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
The protests, in Madrid's Cibeles Square, according to Vox, assembled approximately 700,000 people, however, AFP reported a much smaller number of 30,000.
The Madrid protestors chanted slogans calling the socialist leader and PM a "traitor" as they held up his photos and waved Spanish flags.
Hoy hemos estado donde hay que estar: junto a miles de españoles protestando frente al Gobierno de la ruina, la mentira y la traición.
— VOX 🇪🇸 (@vox_es) January 21, 2023
📸 @Santi_ABASCAL, @juan_ggallardo, @monasterioR, @ivanedlm, @Jorgebuxade y @Ortega_Smith con la sociedad civil.#CibelesPorEspaña21E 💪🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/zwx5wA7CWX
The protestors, led by the far-right opposition, denounced the Sanchez government's decision to abolish the crime sedition, of which nine separatist leaders were convicted over their alleged role in Catalonia's abortive secession bid five years ago. The crime was replaced by an offense that holds a shorter prison sentence which angered
Moreover, Madrid recently made amendments to the national criminal code and approved a new law against sexual violence which made the penalties for rape harsher; an issue that further angered far-right groups.
In an address at the Madrid rally, Vox leader Santiago Abascal denounced "the worst government in history" which "has divided Spaniards and freed rapists and coup leaders."
The PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo did not attend the rally, however, has urged constituents to attend.
In a parallel move, Socialists rallied in the northwestern city of Valladolid, which is around 200km away from Madrid. In an address to the Socialist rally, Sanchez argued that Madrid protestors defended a "uniform" and therefore "discriminatory" Spain.
Unos querían una España rota. Otros quieren una España uniforme.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) January 21, 2023
Y entre unos y otros estamos la mayoría de los españoles, que deseamos convivencia en una España unida y diversa. pic.twitter.com/4vEwvHob8G
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![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
