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170,000 protesters flooded Madrid against an amnesty law following PM Pedro Sanchez's deal with Catalan nationalists. The law pardons figures tied to the 2017 Catalan bid, triggering national dissent and seen as endorsing Catalonia's secession, leading to widespread discontent.

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Transcript
00:00 A massive protest has rocked the board for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
00:07 Reportedly, 170,000 individuals flooded Madrid's streets in the largest demonstration opposing
00:12 an amnesty law, a concession by Spain's socialists to secure government post the Catalonia's
00:18 2017 separation bid.
00:20 This march, part of a sequence of nationwide protests, materialised shortly after the socialist
00:23 Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez secured a four-year term, backed by Catalan and Basque nationalists
00:28 in exchange for embracing the international law, has become a contentious issue across
00:33 the European Union.
00:34 Protesters, many brandishing Spanish flags and flakars denouncing Sánchez as a traitor
00:39 and urging him not to sell Spain, vehemently oppose this law.
00:42 Critics including judicial bodies, opposition factions and business magnates have warned
00:47 that it jeopardises the country's judicial system and the vital separation of powers.
00:53 Authorities confirmed the massive turnout of 170,000 demonstrators, amplifying the intense
00:57 discontent and resistance against a decision that continues to roil Spain.
01:01 A colossal rally against Spain's amnesty law drew not just masses but also opposition figures
01:06 like Alberto Núñez Fijo from the Conservatives' People's Party and Santiago Abascal from the
01:11 Vox Party.
01:12 Organised by the civil group, this demonstration culminated in a motorway protest near Madrid's
01:16 Moncloa Palace, the Prime Minister's residence, calling a temporal disclosure of the A6 road.
01:23 Post-rally, hundreds continued protesting, leading to the road closure for about more
01:26 than an hour before police intervention facilitated the reopening.
01:30 Meanwhile, a smaller protest also unfolded at the Spanish Embassy in London, marking
01:35 individuals' resonance against the controversial amnesty internationally.
01:38 Following months of post-election deadlock, Pedro Sánchez finally took oath as Spain's
01:41 Prime Minister on Friday.
01:43 Notably, the amnesty law intended to pardon around 400 individuals involved in the illegal
01:48 Catalan referendum, including former Catalan President Carl Spigmont, living in exile in
01:53 Belgium.
01:54 The referendum, deemed illegal by courts, triggered Spain's severe political turmoil.
01:58 The proposed amnesty is said to be Spain's largest since 1977's Franco dictatorship amnesty
02:03 and EU's first amnesty law since 1991, reported by Spain's CSIC Research Council.
02:09 Spaniards view this law as a betrayal to the nation, linking Sánchez's approval to Catalonia's
02:13 secession from Spain.
02:15 And so, the protests are now shaking things up in Madrid.
02:19 [music]

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