As every March 8, the day on which International Women’s Day is celebrated, feminist concentrations were the protagonists throughout the day. This year, moreover, the focus was on the government fracture after the vote on the reform of the ‘only yes is yes’ law this past Tuesday.
Two demonstrations were scheduled in Madrid. On the one hand, the Feminist Movement of Madrid, which began its journey in Atocha at 6:30 p.m.; and, on the other, the one organized by the 8M Commission, which met at 7:00 p.m. and in which several PSOE ministers participated, as well as the head of the Ministry of Equality Irene Montero. However, and despite being the same parade, each group appeared separately and behind different banners.
According to figures from the Government delegation, attendance at these demonstrations was 27,000 people. Figures far removed from the 300,000 people in 2018 and 2019 or the 120,000 that were concentrated in 2020, just before the pandemic.
The Executive does not see weakness in the feminist movement
“There is much more that unites the Government than what separates it”
For the Executive, this division between PSOE and Podemos is not a problem: “I am not worried that there were different banners,” he declared this Thursday morning Pilar Alegria, Minister of education. In tune with her, María Jesús Montero has stressed that her demonstration highlighted that it is “much more what unites the Government than what separates it.”
On the other hand, the Secretary of State for Equality Ángela Rodríguez PAM does not see weakness in the feminist movement and has defended that on March 8 feminism “He showed that he is stronger than ever”. Precisely PAM has been involved in the controversy after publishing a video in which she is going along with other protesters who sang “what a pity that Abascal’s mother could not have an abortion.”
The opposition charges against Sánchez and Podemos
Everything that Pedro Sánchez touches becomes division and confrontation
For the opposition, this considerable decrease in participation is due to the division of the Government of Pedro Sánchez. According to the Vice Mayor of Madrid, Begoña Villacís, “the feminism that Podemos and company are defending is getting smaller. You have to meet so many requirements to be part that it will come to nothing.” For his part, Cuca Gamarra, spokesperson for the PP in Congress, in statements to the Espejo Público program this Thursday morning, remarked that everything that Pedro Sánchez touches “it turns into division and confrontation”.