SPAIN: Aznar hit by protests again

BY DOUG LORIMER

On February 23 protesters again took to the streets of Spain in massive numbers to protest against Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's government.

On February 15, as part of the international day of anti-war protests, more than four million people demonstrated in 71 cities across Spain against the US war drive. In the Canary Islands, 60,000 people — 10% of the islands' total population — came out into the streets.

The February 23 protests, which were attended by 1.5 million people, came as an opinion poll showed Aznar's right-wing Popular Party had dropped behind the Socialist Party opposition for the first time since Aznar came to power in 1996.

Aznar has had to struggle against a wave of strong popular resistance over his pro-war stance on Iraq, with 85% of the population insisting that they do not want a war to take place under any circumstances.

The February 23 demonstrations were not sparked by controversy over Iraq, but by another issue which has dogged Aznar's conservative government this year — the oil spill from the Prestige oil tanker that sullied swathes of Spain's northwestern coast.

The surge of popular protest against Aznar's government came just a day after US President George Bush accorded Aznar the rare honour of a meeting at his Texan ranch, as a reward for Madrid's unstinting support for Washington on Iraq.

The February 23 protests called for the resignation of Aznar, and condemned his transport minister, Alvarez Cascos, for the decision to tow the tanker away from Spain's coast rather than into port where its cargo of oil could have been pumped safely.

From Green Left Weekly, March 5, 2003.

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From GLW issue 528