Protests and calls for a boycott erupted across Spain over the country’s arms sales to Israel this past weekend.
Demonstrators in cities such as Barcelona, Valencia, Cartagena, and Madrid rallied, demanding that the government cease all arms trade with Israel.
The protests were sparked by calls from the Solidarity Network Against the Occupation of Palestine and other pro-Palestinian groups, who are urging a halt to weapons transfers that fuel the violence against Palestine and a ban on military equipment sales to Israel.
In Madrid, protesters gathered outside the US Embassy and marched with Palestinian flags to the Defense Ministry.
Chanting slogans such as “Stop the genocide in Palestine,” “Boycott Israel,” “They were hospitals, not military bases,” “Sanctions against Israel are not in sight,” and “Free Palestine,” the demonstrators called on Spain’s leftist coalition government to sever ties with Israel, which they accused of committing genocide and facing trial at the International Court of Justice.
Isabel Serra Sanchez, spokesperson for the Podemos party and a member of the European Parliament, criticized the Spanish government for “lying” about not selling arms to Israel.
Despite statements from Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, and Defense Minister Margarita Robles claiming that no ships carrying arms to Israel are allowed to stop in Spanish ports, Sanchez argued that arms continue to pass through Valencia, Barcelona, and Algeciras ports.
“Human rights organizations show that the Spanish government’s statements are a complete lie, and arms contracts are still in place to fund Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people,” she said.
