VIDEO: Protestors lynch doll of Spanish president on New Year
The far right demonstrators have been accused of a hate crime by the government of Spain
Videos have gone viral on social media of hundreds of protestors marching through the streets of Madrid on New Year’s Eve carrying a giant doll of Spanish President Pedro Sanchez, which they proceeded to beat to shreds and burn outside the administration building on Calle Ferraz.According to witnesses, around 300 people hanged the enormous effigy amid screams of: “This must be done to the real one.”
Quedan a tomar las uvas delante de la sede del PSOE y acaban la primera noche del 2024 pegándole a un muñeco de Pedro Sánchez colgado de una farola. Dan entre miedo, risa y lástima. La decadencia absoluta de la ultraderecha se consumó ayer frente a Ferraz. pic.twitter.com/FqMb6QXn8r
— Alán Barroso (@AlanBarrosoA) January 1, 2024
The display on December 31 is just the latest in a string of protests in the Spanish capital against the highly controversial amnesty deal the president made with Catalan separatists in order to secure his latest term in office.
But far from gleaning support for their cause, the New Year’s Eve pretend ‘lynching’ has been met with horror and widely condemned online.
And since the videos were uploaded, the PSOE government itself has confirmed that “it is studying all legal avenues, that affect both the participants and the organisers and presenters on the official channel of the event.”
“We believe that what happened may be included in a hate crime,” the spokesperson added.
The Prosecutor's Office is studying whether or not to open an investigation into these events, and their decision will largely depend on what the protestors have to say in defence of their actions. The leaders are due to meet with the National Police on Wednesday January 3.
If proceedings are opened, the organisers could face some serious charges and penalties, including the crime of inciting hatred, which warrants between one and four years in prison.
This incident is uncomfortably similar to past events, such as the hanging of a Vinícius Junior's doll from a bridge last year, but it remains to be seen if a demonstration against the Spanish president will be met with similar consequences.
In other news: 2023 goes down in history as the hottest year of all time
Image: @AlanBarrosoA
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