The drone that, as soon as it left the nearby Argüelles metro station, flew over the heads of passersby already allowed us to sense what was being organized this morning in the vicinity of the PSOE headquarters in Madrid. But it was when entering Marqués de Urquijo Street that many of the protesters became aware of the magnitude of the concentration that has occupied half a dozen roads surrounding Ferraz Street.
Militants, sympathizers, and even people who have never voted, nor were they planning to do so, for the PSOE have gathered to show their support for the President of the Government and Secretary General, Pedro Sánchez, after he announced that he was retiring for a few days to reflect on his continuity. at the head of the Executive. The Government Delegation has estimated 12,500 attendees.
Although the call was scheduled for 11:00 a.m., coinciding with the meeting of the Federal Committee of the PSOE that brought together the main socialist leaders, the first buses arriving from different parts of the country had appeared two hours before. The Police worked hard to control traffic, helping to choreograph what PSOE sources described as an “unprecedented mobilization.”
Many of them entered Ferraz carrying the flags of Asturias, Euskadi, Andalusia or Extremadura, among others, in one hand. And with the other, despite having the mobile phone to immortalize the day, they were queuing to obtain some of the badges that, with the motto ‘Stay’, the organization of the march has distributed.
More than one wished they had had a third arm to deploy the umbrella in the face of the rain that has made an appearance. But after several circus attempts, they have given up covering their heads to sing some of the most repeated chants, among which a simple, rhymeless one stood out: “Peter, don’t give up.” A unanimous cry of resistance against the attack denounced by Sánchez in his letter on Wednesday.
The President of the Government will not make a statement until Monday, and in his political circle no one dares to predict what his decision will be. But convinced that his encouragement can tip the balance, the militancy is clear. “Sánchez is not going to leave, we cannot allow it.” A hope also shared by the leadership of the PSOE who, as soon as the Federal Committee ended, took to the streets to join the protesters and sing the same message with a single voice: “Stay.”
