A rally in front of the Iranian embassy in Madrid drew 1,500 people to protest Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Organized by the Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain (FCJE) and the Association of Solidarity Spain-Israel (ASEI), the protest Wednesday had the support of prominent intellectuals, writers, and politicians across the Spanish political spectrum (including 58 civil, political, and religious organizations).
The focus was Ahmadinejad’s recent threat that “the countdown to the destruction of the Zionist regime has begun.”
Under the slogan, “For the right of Israel to exist; No to Iranian aggression; For human rights in Iran,” the early evening protest commenced with a moment of silence for the Spanish soldiers killed in Lebanon last week. The soldiers were part of a force patrolling the south to prevent the resurgence of Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy.
Those in attendance included members of Spain’s ruling socialist party (PSOE), as well as opposition parties . Jacobo Israel, president of FCJE, pointed out the official support of the Spanish Federation of Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals (COLEGAS), the Pan African Federation of Black Communities in Spain, and many other organizations.
