MADRID (Reuters) – Thousands of Spaniards gathered in Madrid on Saturday waving the national flag to protest against a proposed amnesty for Catalan separatists involved in the attempted secession of the northeastern region of Spain in 2017.
The demonstration was organized at the call of Foro Libertad y Alternativa, created by Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former president of the Catalan People’s Party and co-founder of the far-right Vox party, which he left almost ten years ago. Officials from Vox and the (conservative) People’s Party were present.
The ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) reached an agreement on Thursday with the two Catalan independence parties ERC and Junts, paving the way for the adoption of an amnesty law by Parliament later this month.
This amnesty, granted in exchange for the parliamentary support of the two parties, would cover all events relating to the aborted secession attempt since 2011, including a symbolic vote in 2014 and the independence referendum of 2017.
(Graham Keeley, Catherine Macdonald, Jean-Stéphane Brosse for the French version)
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