Hundreds of people marched in Barcelona on Sunday, 650 according to the Guàrdia Urbana, to protest against war, rearmament, and the recent international military escalation. The demonstration, organised by the Aturem la Guerra (Stop the War) Platform, which includes around 50 organisations, spoke out against support for the Israeli regime and the potential social consequences of increased military spending for European states.
The protest started at Plaça de la Universitat and proceeded along Carrer de Pelai to Plaça de Sant Jaume, where a manifesto was read. Some demonstrators displayed Palestinian flags and banners rejecting Israel, chanting slogans against military expenditure.
Calls for Reduced Military Spending
Tica Font, founder of the Centre Delàs and an expert in defence economics, urged Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez "not to bow to Trump's demands and the European Union's agreements to increase defence spending. We have already reached 2.4%, that is enough." Font also called on the Catalan government "not to subsidise the military industry, but to back the civilian one." She further asked local councils "not to remove taxes" like the IBI (property tax) from the arms industry.
Font believes that "we must seriously consider how not to depend on fossil fuels" to ensure energy independence. She also stated the need to guarantee "Palestinian rights, human rights, and international order, and continue to push for an end to Israel's apartheid." Pere Ortega, a member of the Aturem la Guerra Platform, rejected NATO and increased defence budgets. He advocates for "a diplomatic offensive to approach Russia so that it becomes a friend again, as before."
Protesting Imperialism and Gaza Situation
Ortega said, "We reclaim the 'no to war' slogan that Pedro Sánchez has appropriated. This is a cry from social movements." Organisers and attendees also protested against the "imperialism" they claim US President Donald Trump has adopted since taking power. According to the manifesto, Trump is "the promoter of an aggressive imperialist policy, based on threat, force, and violence." They asserted that this policy can "destroy peoples and civilisations."
The mobilisation also focused on the situation in Palestine and Lebanon. Amidst chants and banners, protesters denounced what they consider a genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, as well as the ongoing occupation and "colonialism." They criticised "the impunity with which Israel acts" and highlighted the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
