Thousands of people demonstrated against the government of Pedro Sánchez in Madrid on Saturday. Representatives of the platform Sociedad Civil Española, also joined the “Marcha por la Dignidad”, called by the platform. The demonstration set off in the morning from the Partido Popular and Vox and ended at the Plaza de Cibeles By midday, the Arco de la Victoria in Moncloa. The Delegación del Gobierno put the turnout at around 20,000; the organisers said it was considerably higher.
The main demands were an early general election and criminal proceedings against the prime minister over alleged “treason”. Speakers linked these accusations to the ongoing migration situation in Ceuta and Melilla, and called for greater militarisation of the Spanish-Moroccan border areas. Sharp slogans against Pedro Sánchez were repeatedly heard from the march. Media also reported provocations on the sidelines, including the distribution of counterfeit banknotes bearing the Prime Minister’s portrait.
The leaderships of the Partido Popular and Vox had urged people to attend the rally beforehand. While speakers from both parties criticised the government’s approach to border and migration policy, the call for criminal proceedings remained the organisers’ position. Legal experts point out that the offence of high treason is narrowly defined in Spanish criminal law and that action against the head of government would face significant procedural hurdles.
With today’s action, the organisers built on a first “Marcha por la Dignidad” in May 2026. The new element is the deadline they have set, demanding “clean and free” elections within weeks. By the evening, there had been no immediate response to the demonstration from government circles. Police reported temporary traffic disruption along the route through the city centre.
The debate over Ceuta and Melilla has intensified in recent weeks. Madrid’s government recently stressed that it was relying on closer cooperation with Morocco and European protection of the external borders. Critics in the opposition, however, accuse it of making Spain dependent on Rabat and responding to domestic political conflicts with confrontational rhetoric. How far today’s mobilisation will influence the political agenda now depends on whether tensions escalate further in parliament and on any negotiations between the government and opposition.
According to the authorities, the demonstration remained largely peaceful; no serious incidents had been reported by the editorial deadline.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).