News / EU

Right-wing Spaniards slam government talks with Catalan separatists

Sunday, 10 February 2019 2:03 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 10 February 2019 2:42 PM ]

Right-wing protesters wave Spanish flags during a demonstration against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in the Spanish capital, Madrid, on February 10, 2019. (Photo by AFP)

Thousands of people have rallied in the Spanish capital, Madrid, demanding the resignation of the country’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over his government’s negotiations with separatist Catalans.

Right-wing protesters gathered in Madrid’s Plaza de Colon on Sunday, waving Spanish flags while calling on the left-wing prime minister to resign.

Members of far-right and conservative parties, including the opposition Popular Party, the Vox Party, and the Citizens Party, took part in the rally.

The protesters demanded that Sanchez resign because they said he had betrayed Spaniards by holding talks with Catalan separatists.

“The government is giving many things to the supporters of Catalan independence and is going to break Spain apart,” said protester Raquel Garcia, 76, who was waving a Spanish flag.

“We came here to defend Spain. We are here with Spain and with Europe. And if the Catalans, these people who want to be separatists, want to be like that, they should come to the parliament and defend it; but at the same time, they have to respect Spanish law,” Roman Lopez, another protester, said at the rally.

Right-wing protesters wave Spanish flags during a demonstration against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in the Spanish capital, Madrid, on February 10, 2019. (Photo by AFP)

The protest rally took place two days before the start of the trial of 12 Catalan independence leaders, who face up to 25 years in prison on charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds for their role in a failed secession bid from Spain in 2017.

Sanchez, who succeeded conservative Mariano Rajoy, holds just a quarter of the seats in the Spanish parliament and depends on the support of Catalan lawmakers, anti-austerity party Podemos, and other small parties to pass legislation.

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