Tens of thousands march in Madrid to demand prime minister's resignation

At least seven police officers were injured in clashes with protesters, officials ​said, as tens of thousands of people marched through ‌Madrid today (23 May), demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez after a series of corruption scandals.

A small group of protesters tried to break through ​barriers around Sanchez's residence during the rally, which was otherwise ​largely peaceful.

Police detained a group of masked people on ⁠the main road approaching the Moncloa Palace, where the Socialist leader lives with his ​family, images on Spanish television showed. Three people were arrested, police ​said.

Demonstrators carried banners marked with "Resignation of the socialist mafia" and other slogans, alongside scores of gold and red national flags in the "March for Dignity", organised by the ​Spanish Civil Society association.

Leaders from the opposition People's Party and ​the far-right Vox party also took part.

A Spanish court announced on Tuesday that ‌former ⁠Spanish Socialist prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was being investigated for allegedly leading an influence-peddling and money-laundering network, in another blow to the leftist government.

Zapatero, a key ally of the current prime ​minister, denied any ​wrongdoing. 

Sanchez briefly ⁠considered resigning in April 2024 after a judge opened an investigation into his wife, Begoña Gomez. ​He has publicly defended his family, saying the ​cases ⁠are politically motivated and driven by far-right opponents.

She denies any wrongdoing, and a Spanish prosecutor last month asked the investigating judge to close ⁠the ​case, which was brought by far-right groups.

Organizers ​said 80,000 people took part in the protest. The Spanish government representative in Madrid put the number at ​about 40,000.