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MADRID: Tens of thousands of people rallied Sunday in an opposition-organized demonstration in Madrid accusing the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of corruption.
Protesters, many waving red and yellow Spanish flags, massed in the Plaza de Espana, a large square in the center of the Spanish capital, and chanted 鈥淧erdo Sanchez, resign!.鈥�
The Popular Party (PP) called the rally after leaked audio recordings allegedly documented a member of the Socialist party, Leire Diez, waging a smear campaign against a police unit that investigated graft allegations against Sanchez鈥檚 wife, brother, and his former right-hand man.
Diez has denied the allegations, telling reporters on Wednesday that she was conducting research for a book and was not working on behalf of the party or Sanchez. She also resigned from Sanchez鈥檚 Socialist party.
PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo has accused the government of 鈥渕afia practices鈥� over the affair, and said Sanchez is 鈥渁t the center鈥� of multiple corruption scandals.
鈥淭his government has stained everything 鈥� politics, state institutions, the separation of powers,鈥� he told the rally, going on to urge Sanchez to call early elections.
The PP estimated that more than 100,000 people attended the rally, held under the slogan 鈥淢afia or Democracy.鈥�
The central government鈥檚 representative in Madrid put the turnout between 45,000 and 50,000.
鈥淭he expiry date on this government passed a long time ago. It鈥檚 getting tiring,鈥� Blanca Requejo, a 46-year-old store manager who wore a Spanish flag drapped over her back, told AFP at the rally.
Sanchez has dismissed the probes against members of his inner circle as part of a 鈥渟mear campaign鈥� carried out by the right wing to undermine his government.
He came to power in June 2018 after ousting his PP predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, in a no-confidence vote over a corruption scandal affecting involving the conservative party.
Recent polls show the PP holding only a slim lead over the Socialists. The next general election is expected in 2027.