Thousands Protest in Galicia to Save the Galician Language

Galician Language Protest in Santiago: Thousands Demand Linguistic Rights On May 17, 2025, thousands of people marched through Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, to protest the declining use of the Galician language. The demonstration, organized by the Queremos Galego platform, drew participants from various political parties, social groups and trade unions. The protesters voiced concerns about the language's diminishing presence in education, media, and public life. Ana Pontón, National Spokesperson for the BNG, expressed alarm at statistics showing that only 7% of young people regularly speak Galician. "If this trend continues," she warned, "Galician could become an absolutely residual language among younger generations." Marcos Maceira, President of the Queremos Galego platform, stated, "We will not resign ourselves to the exclusion of Galician from most areas of social life." The protest ended in the Obradoiro square, where participants waved Galician flags and sang traditional songs, demonstrating their commitment to preserving their linguistic heritage.