Massive Madrid Protest Challenges Spanish Government

Thousands March in Madrid Protest: Government Downplays Scale Madrid, Spain – On Sunday, June 8th, 2025, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid in a large-scale protest. Organizers claimed over 100,000 participants, while the government, led by the PSOE, initially attempted to minimize the demonstration's size. The protest was sparked by the "cloacas case," a scandal involving alleged government surveillance. Socialist activist Leire Diez's prominent role further fueled the event. Carlos Herrera, a prominent commentator for Cadena COPE, offered analysis in a video report. He stated, "The PSOE tried to downplay the protest, even joking about it being a small gathering." Herrera also noted the government's representative, Francisco Martinez, eventually acknowledged around 50,000 attendees, a number still significantly large. The demonstration underscores growing public dissatisfaction with the current government. The contrast between the government's initial response and the sheer number of protesters highlights a significant political challenge for the PSOE.