Flanked by hundreds of riot police officers deployed along the entire route, hundreds of people demonstrated this Sunday in Madrid to say "no" to the NATO Summit that is being held in the capital next week. During this week, the Police had alerts of the possible presence of violent radical groups that could break up the march and cause altercations, but the march has passed through the heart of the city without any notable incident.
At mid-morning, the header has begun its journey from the Puerta de Atocha between shouts of "now more than ever, NATO no". The concentration was convened by the Popular Assembly against the War, the State Platform for Peace and the NATO Assembly no. The conveners transferred to the Government Delegation that the attendees would be about 5,000. That figure has not been reached, despite the fact that hundreds of people have gathered. The Government Delegation places the estimate at 2,200 people. The organizers raise it to 30,000.
Despite the fact that the assistance of the Minister of Consumption, Alberto Garzón, was in the air. The communist leader has finally not attended the march. Yes, the Secretary of State for the 2030 Agenda and leader of the Communist Party, Enrique Santiago, has done so. Also the spokeswoman for the United Left, Sira Rego, who in statements to the media has downplayed the disagreements between the government partners with respect to the Atlantic Alliance. "We are different political forces, capable of agreeing on a common program, a program that has to do with a framework of social development: there is the last approved anti-crisis decree," he said in reference to the new measures approved yesterday in extraordinary Council of Ministers.
In addition to the historical slogans of "No NATO, bases out", the demonstrators have criticized the foreseeable increase in Defense spending that the Government intends to collect in the next General State Budgets in order to reach the objective of 2% of GDP in 2030. “Military expenses for schools and hospitals”, could be heard on a Gran Vía closed to traffic that in most sections there were more pedestrians enjoying the sunny Sunday than protesters on the road.
Among the proclamations launched in the march there was also room for the tragic jump to the fence that last Friday was repressed with enormous hostility by the Moroccan gendarmes. “Their gendarmes kill and Sánchez admires them”, they chanted in reference to the words of the Prime Minister who valued as positive the coordination between neighboring countries to stop the avalanche of immigrants who tried to enter Spanish territory. There have also been words for the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who has been encouraged to be the one to jump the fence.
The MEP of Anticapitalistas Miguel Urbán has asked between banners that Spain leave the "Military Alliance" which, in his opinion, the only thing it pursues is "remilitarization" and war. “A few months ago (Emmanuel) Macron said it: NATO was brain dead. Now it lives its best moment thanks to (Vladimir) Putin; in the end, imperialisms are sought and needed”, the anti-capitalist leader has valued, while reaffirming his commitment to initiating policies “for peace” and “the majorities”.
