Spain: Violent protests after Sánchez's re-election
Even after the re-election of socialist Pedro Sánchez as Spain's head of government, several thousand people demonstrated in Madrid during the night. It was the 14th night in a row of sometimes violent demonstrations in front of the headquarters of Sánchez's PSOE party against an amnesty for Catalan separatists. Sánchez had promised the amnesty to two Catalan parties in return for their votes in the parliamentary vote on his candidacy.
Participants at the rally waved Spanish flags and shouted "National Unity" and "Long live Spain". Sánchez was also subjected to all the usual insults in Spanish. Masked participants, mainly young men, threw bottles, tennis balls, barricades, firecrackers and Bengal fire at the police, as seen on television.
The police then broke up the rally. Seven people, including a police officer, were slightly injured, the Europa Press news agency reported, citing the authorities. Seven people were also arrested.
Spain's conservatives and right-wing populists accuse Sánchez of wanting to establish a "dictatorship" and endangering democracy, the separation of powers and the unity of Spain. That is why Spaniards should demonstrate until there is a new election. Sánchez was elected in the first round of voting on Thursday with an absolute majority of MPs in the lower house.
Source: www.dpa.com
