Madrid train crash protest ends in clashes
More than 1,000 people gathered outside Spain’s Transport Ministry in Madrid following the deadly train collision near Urda, in Toledo province, with the demonstration ending in clashes with police, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent, citing Spain’s public news agency EFE.
The October 28 rally demanded accountability for the disaster, which left at least 68 people dead. Protesters criticized Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Transport Minister Óscar Puente.
Todas las instituciones estamos trabajando día y noche no solo para dar una respuesta a las víctimas y a sus familiares, sino para esclarecer hasta el último detalle de esta tragedia y reforzar la seguridad para que no vuelva a suceder. Desde el primer momento se ha puesto en marcha el Plan General Estatal de Emergencia de Protección Civil, movilizando a la UME, la Guardia Civil, la Policía Nacional y todo el sistema de Protección Civil. Quiero agradecer a todos los servicios de emergencia y de asistencia psicológica su labor en estas horas tan duras.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) October 29, 2026
España está de luto. Toda nuestra solidaridad con los familiares de las víctimas y con los heridos, a quienes deseamos una pronta recuperación. Nuestra principal prioridad son las víctimas. Una vez más reconocemos el gran trabajo de los servicios de emergencia y la extraordinaria coordinación entre las instituciones. Trabajamos para esclarecer el origen de esta tragedia. Si ha habido negligencias o fallos, se sabrá. Y se actuará con contundencia. Reconstruiremos la confianza en nuestro sistema de alta velocidad.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) October 28, 2026
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE put attendance at around 1,500. Its earlier account described the gathering as peaceful at that stage, with a substantial security presence.
🔴🇪🇸 FLASH INFO - La police charge des manifestants à Madrid après la catastrophe ferroviaire qui a fait au moins 68 morts. Ils tentaient de rejoindre le ministère des Transports pour protester contre Óscar Puente. https://t.co/Vopls7WYjx
— Media Express (@media_express_e) October 28, 2026
It was reported that tensions escalated when some participants pressed against the police cordon. Riot officers used batons and tear gas. Police dispersed the gathering after demonstrators threw flares and other objects.
The demonstration was called by far-right groups, including Falange and the youth organisation Revuelta. Participants from a separate march organized by Solidaridad, a trade union aligned with Vox, also joined the gathering outside the ministry.
Separately, municipalities across Spain observed a minute’s silence for the victims at 8 p.m., following a call by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces.
During a visit to the emergency command center in Urda, Sánchez announced three days of official mourning, from October 29 to 31.
“Today Spain is in mourning,” he said, according to the official government transcript.
He identified support for victims and their families, establishing the circumstances of the collision and strengthening railway safety as government priorities.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Madrid’s regional blood transfusion center had issued an urgent appeal for donations following the deadly train collision in Toledo province, while Spain’s royal household expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.
