Spain: thousands of people demonstrate in the streets of Madrid
Thousands of people demonstrate in the streets of Madrid on March 20, 2022. AFP - PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Thousands of people demonstrated this Sunday, March 20 in Madrid against rising energy prices, restrictions on hunting and irrigation water.
Advertising
Read more
With our correspondent in Madrid
,
François Musseau
It is a very colorful parade which this Saturday surveyed the Castellana, the main artery which divides Madrid from side to side from the Ministry of Agriculture to Columbus Square.
The flags waved by the demonstrators represented agricultural unions from all corners of
Spain
.
“
If we continue like this, we will not get there.
Electricity suffocates us, fuels too, taxes, water restrictions
”, indignant José Francisco, a farmer who came specially from Alicante for the protest.
If the discontent has been simmering for months, it is now gaining momentum.
The rural world claims to be forgotten by the government, the cities and the authorities.
And even if the slogan of the protest is diverse, the price of fuel is at the center of all the demands, because it weighs on the cost of activities, such as fishing.
"
The rise in the price of fuel is forcing us to keep our fleet docked and it will continue like this until the minister meets with us and gives us a special reduction
," explains Alfonso, who came from Huelva.
This shipowner is very concerned about this increase.
Los tractores toman Madrid en la gran manifestation "contra la ruina del campo" https://t.co/T3RLkRiCS5 pic.twitter.com/wrAoGxaBI5
— EL MUNDO (@elmundoes) March 20, 2022
What is striking, in the midst of all these claims, is the importance of hunters and their anger, due to a recent law from the Socialists requiring that hunting dogs be treated in a certain way.
“
They want to take us away from the idea of going hunting.
They want to stop us from hunting with dogs, to take everything away from us
,” complains Vicente.
Political parties were not marching, but the conservative right and ultra-right support the movement, hoping it will help bring down the government of socialist Pedro Sanchez.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_EN
Spain
Energies
Social issues
Water
Agriculture and Fishing