Police Charge Protesters Demanding Minister’s Resignation After Deadly Train Crash

Police charged demonstrators outside the Ministry of Transport on Wednesday night as hundreds gathered to demand the resignation of Transport Minister Óscar Puente following a high-speed train collision that killed at least 68 people.

X user DanDoLaNota, who filmed the protest on 28 October, captured the confrontation as demonstrators carrying Spanish flags and anti-government banners faced lines of Policía Nacional officers in protective gear. Protesters chanted slogans against Puente, calling him a “minister of death” and a “murderer.”

The demonstration included members of far-right groups, including Falange and Revuelta. Tensions escalated during the evening, with flares and objects thrown as police officers faced the crowd.

At around 21:30, Policía Nacional officers launched charges to disperse the demonstrators, using pepper and tear gas as well as rubber bullets. Accounts differed over the events leading up to the police intervention and the degree of aggression directed at officers.