Tens of thousands of people rallied in Madrid on Saturday to demand the resignation of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez following a series of corruption scandals involving his family, allies, and party.

The protest was called by the Spanish Civil Society association, which estimated attendance at about 80,000, well above the government's estimate of 40,000. Leaders from the opposition People's Party and the far-right Vox party also took part.

The rally was largely peaceful, though a small group of protesters tried to breach barriers around Sanchez's official residence. Police reported three arrests and at least seven officers injured in clashes with protesters.

A Spanish court announced on Tuesday that former Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero had been placed under criminal investigation over corruption allegations. Zapatero has been a major ally of Sanchez in recent years, dealing a blow to Sanchez's Socialist-led coalition.

The news comes on the heels of graft cases involving Sanchez's family and members of his administration. Last month, Sanchez's wife, Begona Gomez, was charged with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings, and misappropriation of funds. Gomez has denied the charges, and Sanchez dismissed the allegations as an attempt by the right wing to undermine his coalition.

Sanchez's younger brother, David Sanchez, is also due to stand trial this month over allegations of influence peddling. David Sanchez denies any wrongdoing.

Source: www.dw.com