March 8th in Palma | Divided feminism calls out against the right wing and war

PalmMarch 8th saw two separate feminist demonstrations in Palma, but with overlapping demands: defending women's rights, combating the far right, and denouncing war and social insecurity. The second demonstration this Sunday in Palma for International Women's Day brought together 2,200 people, according to the National Police, and championed the feminist struggle against "setbacks in social rights and the rise of reactionary rhetoric" and against "a world being reshaped by war."

The demonstration, which began at 6:00 PM in Palma's Plaza de España and ended at Plaza de Cort under the slogan "More feminists than ever," was organized by the Transfeminist Coordinating Committee of Mallorca and brought together numerous associations fighting for women's rights. This is the second March 8th demonstration in Palma, following a morning march organized by the Feminist Movement of Mallorca, in which nearly 2,000 people, according to the National Police, took to the streets to demand rights in the face of the rise of the far right and the policies of the PP and Vox parties.

Support for the trans community

"Fascists out of the institutions" and "Sexists out of our streets" are some of the slogans shouted by those gathered at the afternoon march, with numerous signs with messages of support for the trans community, explicitly championed at this gathering.

Once at Cort, the organizers read the manifesto, which paid tribute to prominent figures in both local and international feminism, including Aurora Picornell, who suffered reprisals under Franco's regime, and other more internationally renowned figures such as Rosa Luxemburg and Angela Davis. "We cannot defend the struggle for the rights of working women without also confronting the imperialist and capitalist policies that are devastating the lives of millions of people," the organizers stated, citing the war in Iran as an example, but also "the ongoing genocide suffered by the Palestinian people."

Criticism of the PP, Vox and the Government

The manifesto criticized the "speculative and racist policies of the PP and Vox parties in Palma City Council" after they attempted to evict nearly 200 people from the former prison "without any alternative, simply leaving them stranded on the street." They also attacked the Spanish government, accusing it of "claiming the regularization of thousands of people as its own," even though it was "the result of collective struggle and social mobilization." Furthermore, they affirmed their defense of a feminism that is not detached from "the anti-capitalist struggle," since working-class women "especially suffer the consequences of a system that prioritizes private profit over life." The demonstration, which concluded with a popular drum performance in Plaça de Cort after the manifesto was read, was attended by representatives from MÉS per Mallorca and Podemos, among others.

Democratic regression

Regarding the morning demonstration, with the slogan "Faced with patriarchy and the far right, more feminism," the Feminist Movement of Mallorca focused on the role of the current government, led by the PP and with the external support of Vox, in replacing the Ministry of Equality with the Ministry of Family. They interpreted this as "a first declaration of intent" which, throughout the legislature, led to "inaction and, in the worst cases, cuts and the dissemination of rhetoric that dismantles the feminist agenda, erodes mechanisms for the protection of women, and consolidates an unprecedented democratic regression."

"We reject the debates imposed by the far right or the traditional right, which seek to use women as ideological bargaining chips. When we talk about the burka, the niqab, or the veil, we do so from a radical critique of the patriarchy that imposes oppressive norms on women's bodies," they countered.

That is why they have extended their support to all those women around the world who "resist under fundamentalist regimes that want to erase them from the public sphere, from education, and from political life." They also addressed "the men in power who use their position to assault, rape, and sexually exploit women in vulnerable situations," a reality that "is not an isolated case but a pattern of behavior." "We don't know how many untouchable celebrities, how many high-ranking politicians, or police officials are hiding in the shadows, but we know that we exist and that we will fight against them with everything we have," they warned.

Structural Machismo

This year, 2026, marks the 90th anniversary of the first International Women's Day (March 8th) in Mallorca, which took place in 1934, driven by activists like Aurora Picornell, later persecuted by the Franco regime, in the working-class neighborhoods of the capital. María José Busquets, a spokesperson for the Mallorcan Feminist Movement, stated that feminism is "the only effective tool to fight against structural sexism and one day achieve true equality." "It is absolutely necessary; we still have a long way to go. We suffer violence, a gender pay gap, and a real risk of these rights being rolled back with the far right's entry into institutions. We see this, for example, in our autonomous community," she told the media before the march began.

The 2,000 protesters, according to National Police figures, displayed banners with messages such as "You deserve to be loved without being sexualized," "No one should be afraid to be who they are," and "The opposite of feminism is ignorance." They also chanted slogans like "Resistance to violence," "Today is not a celebration, it's a day of protest," "Being a woman is not a feeling," and "Patriotism from the balcony, silence in the face of aggression."

There were also messages in favor of abolishing prostitution, with chants like "To abolish prostitution, women are making the revolution" and banners that read, "The difference between a rapist and a john? Money."

The rejection of war in the Middle East also made its way into the demonstration, where old banners with "No to war" could be seen, a slogan that could also be heard throughout the march, and a manifesto for peace was read.

"We will not be silenced"

The demonstrators marched along Sant Miquel and Conqueridor streets before crossing Plaça de Cort and descending to El Born, where they gathered in front of a stage set up for the occasion. From there, several women read the manifesto for this March 8th, in which they called for "saying loud and clear that we will not be silenced" and that feminism "is not a fad or a women's club, but an essential struggle to destroy the patriarchal structure of domination that sustains society." There were also messages of support for particularly vulnerable women, such as those with irregular immigration status or those subjected to exploitation, "locked up in apartments, clubs, and houses and turned into commodities to satisfy male desire."

"Don't come at me with romantic notions. This isn't freedom, it's normalized sexual exploitation, protected and whitewashed by diverse sectors, such as the economic, media, and institutional sectors. There is no possible choice when there is poverty, vulnerability, and organized men willing to pay to dominate. This is not conscious."

Several political figures were seen at the demonstration, including the Minister of Labor, Public Administration, and Social Dialogue, Catalina Cabrer (PP), and the Minister of Families, Social Welfare, and Dependency Care, Sandra Fernández (PP); the Government Delegate in the Balearic Islands, Alfonso Rodríguez (PSIB); and the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rosario Sánchez (PSIB).

Other familiar faces included the Socialist spokespeople in the Balearic Parliament, Iago Negueruela, and in the Council of Mallorca, Catalina Cladera; The deputy spokesperson for the People's Party in the regional parliament, Marga Durán, and the former eco-sovereignist councilor Fina Santiago were present. Also in attendance were representatives from the UGT and CCOO unions, the Federation of Neighborhood Associations of Palma, the Memoria de Mallorca association, the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE), and a group of migrant women.