2023-11-25 15:06:20
The socialist activists show the photos one by one. We can still see the marks of acts of vandalism on the logo of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) of the premises in the Hortaleza district, in the north of Madrid, like remnants of the blue paint thrown on the facade; the words “Traitors” et “Son of a b…”, intended for Pedro Sanchez; the intercom damaged, trash cans left in front of the door.
“We have already experienced moments of tension, but this is something else, this violence surprised me”, says Domingo, a 71-year-old activist. Out of caution, the Hortaleza location suspended its activities for two weeks. “We closed the doors during the coup d’état in 1981 and during the pandemic. But there, more than anger, we feel sadness”explains Jorge Donaire, general secretary of the party in Hortaleza.
Night attacks
This socialist branch is not the only one to have been the victim of acts of vandalism. Since the signing of the agreement on November 9 with the Catalan separatists on the amnesty, around a hundred socialist premises in around forty departments have suffered nightly attacks. Not to mention the demonstrations, every evening for more than two weeks, at the party’s central headquarters in Madrid.
“On social networks too, at least half of the comments are threatening, I don’t remember such visceral hatred”, assures Jorge Donaire. The amnesty bill for Catalan separatists has ignited debates within the right, the far right and the judiciary.
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But among the socialists? “Amnesty doesn’t excite me very much”recognizes Manuel, 69 years old. “Forgiving Carles Puigdemont who fled in the trunk of a car in 2017 is not easy, but the circumstances are what they are”.
Deleterious atmosphere
In exchange for this amnesty law, the separatists, of which Carles Puigdemont is a member, gave the green light for the inauguration of the outgoing socialist Council president Pedro Sanchez. “It was that or a right-wing and far-right government”says Domingo, before adding: “On the left, no one likes Carles Puigdemont who is also on the right. But we have to think that in this amnesty, there are also school directors, people who held the ballot boxes during the illegal referendum in 2017, we cannot send them to prison. »
At the PSOE branch in Alicante, on the east coast, where acts of vandalism and an intimidating demonstration in front of the premises have also put pressure on, we are worried about this deleterious atmosphere, of the far right which calls for these demonstrations in front of the PSOE, and of the conservative right which “does not condemn enough”.
“It’s reminiscent of the 1930s in Germany”, assures Miguel Millana, secretary general of the party in Alicante. In Cuenca, in the Castile-La Mancha region, where the socialist president openly opposed this amnesty, we are united there too. “Being called traitors hurtscowardly Luis Carlos Sahuquillo, secretary general and deputy, but even if I don’t agree on everything with this amnesty, I prefer to have a progressive government, we will have to do some education with our voters. »
Particularly on the issue of embezzlement crimes, which will also be amnestied. In the Madrid socialist local in the Hortaleza district, Luis, in his thirties, recognizes “that it is not easy to forgive this crime because it was everyone’s money”. But we want to be optimistic despite everything. “People will understand that it is not such a bad measure when they see that the situation will get better in Catalonia”estimates Felix, 86 years old.
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