Madrid (EFE).- Thousands of Spaniards lined Madrid’s streets Sunday to celebrate Spain’s National Day and honor the Armed Forces in a parade led by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.
The parade along a 1.5-kilometer (0.9- mile) route from Glorieta de Carlos V to Plaza de Colón included 3,847 service members, 524 women, plus aircraft and vehicles.
The event paid tribute to the 120,000 members of Spain’s Armed Forces, with this year’s edition marking the 20th anniversary of the Military Emergency Unit (UME).
“Today we celebrate the professionalism and generosity of our troops, who make Spain a great country,” said Defense Minister Margarita Robles, addressing deployed units abroad.
While the event drew large crowds waving flags and cheering, the arrival of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was met with the usual whistles and boos.
Almost the entire government attended, except for a few ministers who were traveling abroad or dealing with the effects of Storm Alice in their regions.
Royal tribute and political absences
Following the parade, the royal family hosted a reception at the Royal Palace for about 50 mayors from municipalities affected by last year’s deadly storm, which claimed 229 lives.
The opposition leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo of the Popular Party (PP), used the occasion to respond to Sánchez’s recent parliamentary remarks.
“I’m in good spirits because my partner is not in court, my sister isn’t either, and my number two is not in prison,” Feijóo said pointedly.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia posted a message on social media celebrating the day: “Happy National Day!” alongside a video of the Spanish flag waving.
Sánchez wrote that he felt “proud to be Spanish, proud of our people, solidarity, diversity, cultural wealth, and natural heritage.”
Feijóo also called for national unity, saying Spain “is not about one side against another, but about everyone together.”
On the other hand, EH Bildu’s Arkaitz Rodríguez stated that “the Basque people have nothing to celebrate,” calling the date “a day of oppression and colonialism.”
Appeals for unity across the regions
Several regional leaders used the occasion to call for unity and shared values.
Catalonia’s president, Salvador Illa, urged recognition of “Spain’s plurality and diversity” and to “focus on what unites us.”
Madrid’s Isabel Díaz Ayuso hailed the day as a “great project for a shared future,” while Andalusian leader Juan Moreno paused, “a serene Spain that understands one another.”
Elsewhere, 3,700 people marched through central Barcelona under the slogan “Barcelona, capital of Hispanidad,” calling for unity and denouncing separatism.
Despite these calls for unity, some regions saw tensions and unrest during the celebrations.
In Vitoria, at least 17 people were arrested and 20 police officers were injured in clashes between far-right demonstrators and counterprotesters.
In Madrid, two activists from the environmental group Futuro Vegetal were detained after throwing red biodegradable paint on José Garnelo’s First Tribute to Christopher Columbus at the Naval Museum, in protest of the National Day celebration. EFE
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