Madrid Marks Nakba Day, Mobilizes Again for Palestine
On Sunday, May 17, residents of all ages took to the streets of the Spanish capital, Madrid, to march in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle against colonial domination and violence. Winding its way from the Atocha train station to the Callao plaza in central Madrid, the march sought to maintain Palestine’s visibility at a time when it is increasingly absent from mainstream media coverage.
The march was part of a nationwide set of actions organized by a coalition of activist groups under the slogan “No Nakba, No Guerra, No Genocidios, No Mordazas (No Nakba, No War, No Genocides, No Censorship)”. All events took place around Nakba Day (May 15), which commemorates and seeks to stop the ongoing removal of Palestinians from their homeland.
Palestine solidarity marches have been frequent in Madrid in recent years, spurred by intensive organizing throughout the country in support of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) framework designed to put nonviolent pressure on Israel in response to its colonial occupation of Palestinian territory. While the current Spanish government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been vocal in calling for a just peace within the framework of international law, activists continue to call for more concrete steps such as closing the Israeli embassy and ending commercial and military contracts.
Activists carried a banner at the front of the march in Madrid. (All photos: John Collins/Weave News)
In addition to voicing their solidarity with the Palestinian people and their liberation struggle, marchers in Madrid called for an end to European complicity with Israeli state violence, condemned attacks on Palestinian journalists and members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, warned against rising fascism and corruption in Spain, and expressed opposition to Israel’s ongoing attacks in Lebanon.
