Spain’s right rallies against plan to pardon Catalan separatists

Right-wing opposition accuses leftist PM of caving in to pressure from separatist parties, which back the government.

Right-wing protesters are planning to hit the streets of Madrid to denounce a controversial Spanish government proposal to offer pardons to the jailed Catalan separatists behind the failed 2017 independence bid. The mass protest, which is scheduled to start at midday (10:00 GMT) on Sunday, will up pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez who has called for understanding over the planned gesture that has dominated political debate for weeks and reactivated the controversy over Catalan separatism. “I understand there may be people who could have objections over this decision that the government may take, given what happened in 2017,” he said on Wednesday during an official visit to Argentina.