Spain Announces 8 March Demonstrations

Demonstrations marking International Women’s Day will take place across Spain on 8 March. Feminist organisations are planning marches in the country’s biggest cities.

8 March march in Madrid

Two separate demonstrations are scheduled in the Spanish capital this year. Both will begin at 12:00 on 8 March and take place in the city centre.

The first rally is organised by Comisión 8M. The march will set off from Atocha, then continue along Paseo del Prado, pass through Cibeles, follow Calle de Alcalá and finish near Sevilla metro station. Organisers say they stand for “unity, diversity, pride and justice in the face of mass persecution of migrants, predatory colonialism, gender-based violence and the spread of hate”.

The second demonstration is organised by Movimiento Feminista de Madrid. It will begin at Plaza de Cibeles and continue along Calle de Alcalá, Gran Vía and Callao before ending at Plaza de España. The aim of the march is to protest against the “patriarchal brutality of wars, genocides and mass killings of civilians”.

8 March march in Barcelona

Barcelona is also expected to see two major demonstrations. The march organised by Assemblea 8M will begin at 11:30 on 8 March at Jardinets de Gràcia. The procession will move along Passeig de Gràcia, then through Ronda de Sant Pere and Plaça de Catalunya, and will finish at Arc de Triomf, where a final rally will take place. The main focus of the demonstration is the fight against women’s poverty, the crisis in the care system and the growing influence of far-right movements.

A separate rally will be held by Moviment Feminista de Barcelona. It will start at 12:00 in Plaça de Catalunya. Participants will speak out against the exploitation of women, gender-based violence and discrimination in the labour market.

8 March march in Valencia

In Valencia, the main feminist demonstration will begin at 18:00 on 8 March at Porta de la Mar. The route will follow Calle de Colón, Xàtiva and Marqués de Sotelo, then pass through Plaza del Ayuntamiento, continue along San Vicente and end at Plaza de la Reina.

However, preparations for this year’s march have been accompanied by controversy. Feminist organisations are asking the city authorities to change the time of the Fallas fireworks display scheduled for 20:00, as it clashes with the demonstration. La Coordinadora Feminista de València says this is an attempt to “make the protest invisible” and has launched a petition demanding that the fireworks be rescheduled.

Mayor María José Catalá, meanwhile, has denied any intention to undermine the march and pointed out that for the past three years the display has been held at 20:00 while it is still light, because it falls on a working day. “We take 8 March seriously and, as an institution, we try to take part in this event, which remains as necessary as ever,” she said.