Huge anger in Madrid: Tens of thousands of people demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sánchez and early elections, after corruption scandals rock the government
Thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid on Saturday, May 23, to demand the resignation of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, following the corruption scandals affecting the Socialist government. The protest, held in the center of the Spanish capital, gathered around 40,000 participants, according to the authorities.
Protests in Madrid Photo: X
Demonstrators called for early elections and displayed Spanish flags and placards with messages critical of the executive, including “Resignation and elections” and “Unveil the Socialist Mafia.”
Tensions rose near the prime minister's official residence, where a group of protesters tried to force barriers set up by law enforcement.
Police intervened and detained several masked people involved in the incidents, according to Reuters.
Leaders of the opposition, including representatives of the People's Party and the far-right Vox formation, also participated in the demonstration. The march was described by authorities as a “mostly peaceful”.
The protest was organized by representatives of Spanish civil society, including businessman Marcos de Quinto, along with several politicians and MEPs affiliated with the Vox party.
A Spanish court announced on Tuesday that Spain's former Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is being investigated for allegedly running an influence peddling and money laundering ring, a further blow to the leftist government.
Zapatero, a key ally of current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has denied any wrongdoing.
Pedro Sánchez briefly considered resigning in April 2024 after a judge opened an investigation into his wife, Begoña Gómez. The prime minister has publicly defended his family, saying the files are politically motivated and fueled by far-right opponents.
Begoña Gómez denies any wrongdoing, and last month a Spanish prosecutor asked the judge in the case to close the investigation, opened following a complaint by far-right groups.
The organizers claimed that around 80,000 people participated in the protest, while the representative of the Spanish government in Madrid estimated the number of participants at around 40,000.
