Spain Notes, Oct 30: Israel-Gaza + Catalan separatist amnesty
1/ Vox managed about 100,000 people in Madrid against Sánchez and the amnesty; the PP got 20,000 people in Málaga out against Sánchez and the amnesty; 35,000 marched in support of Palestine in Madrid.
2/ At the Vox march, the chants were “Jail Puigdemont!” or “Otegi is a terrorist!”. Abascal said the Catalan separatist leader should perhaps instead make room for Sánchez at his house in Waterloo, given the consequences of breaking “the Constitution, the rule of law and equality among Spaniards”.
3/ PP leader Feijóo in Málaga wanted Sánchez to go for a repeat election, “let’s vote again”. He believes voters didn’t understand what they were getting into with the amnesty at the July ballot. “This is not being done for Spain but against Spain”, he added.
4/ The Minister of Social Rights, Belarra (Sumar), went to the march in support of Palestine, of course: “Europe will pay dearly for such hypocrisy”, she said: “European leaders are not up to the severity of what is happening. Today and always, we will defend the Palestinian people against the genocidal State of Israel”.
5/ The Deputy Prime Minister, Yolanda Díaz (Sumar), was also there. “Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza”, she said, “the people of our country stands together with the Palestinian people”. She wants an immediate ceasefire.
6/ At the PSOE committee meeting on Saturday, Sánchez defended a two-state solution again, the recognition of Palestine, and he repeated his suggestion that Spain hold an international peace conference “in a few months, urgently”.
7/ “Sánchez was clear”, writes El País about the amnesty announcement by the PM on Saturday, in a suppoortive editorial, “and there’s another important factor people should take into account. The confidence vote deal will open an up an important challenge in the separatist sector”.
8/ “The PSOE has surrendered to Sánchez”, writes El Mundo of the same event, describing the amnesty as a toll that must be paid if he wants to be reappointed PM. Only the First Minister of Castilla la Mancha, García Page, stands as a lone voice of socialist discontent.
9/ The most visible sign of that discontent, though, appeared to be him…not applauding Sánchez at the meeting. So don’t expect fireworks.
10/ The Home Office is looking into into a Civil Guard association, JUCIL, for breaking officers’ duty to political neutrality, after they posted on Twitter, in reference to the amnesty deal: “The greatest treason that can be committed against a nation is that of those who have a duty to defend it. The interest of one individual above the freedom of the Spanish people”.
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