Overview
- The march drew tens of thousands to central Madrid, with organizers and authorities giving widely different counts and both reporting a largely peaceful demonstration on Saturday, May 23, 2026.
- A coalition of conservative and right-wing groups organized the rally and received backing from senior figures in the Partido Popular and Vox, and a small group of demonstrators later tried to breach security near the Moncloa residence, prompting arrests and minor police injuries.
- Judicial action is the core grievance for protesters: a court has opened an investigation into former PM Zapatero over alleged influence-peddling and money laundering tied to the pandemic-era rescue of airline Plus Ultra, and Zapatero is scheduled to testify in court on June 2.
- Other legal processes involve people close to Sánchez, including a recent trial for former minister José Luis Ábalos, an indictment of Sánchez’s brother David for alleged favors, and an inquiry into Sánchez’s wife Begoña Gómez; Sánchez says the accusations are politically motivated.
- The demonstrations add to sustained opposition pressure on Sánchez’s government and build on Spain’s recent political history of corruption scandals, which could drive further parliamentary attacks and closer public scrutiny as courts advance their probes.