A march for the freedom of the Saharawi people of Western Sahara had its final stage in Madrid on Friday 19 June, after travelling though other parts of Spain.
March For Freedom of the Saharawi people arrives in Madrid after touring Spain
A march for the freedom of the Saharawi people of Western Sahara had its final stage in Madrid on Friday 19 June, after travelling though other parts of Spain.
The march left the Plaza de España at noon and ended at the Puerta del Sol.
It was the last in a series of marches, beginning in Cádiz on April 15 and travelling through different regions of Spain.
The 'March for Freedom' supported the Sahrawi people's struggle for self-determination in the Western Sahara -- a disputed territory claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario Front, which has previously declared it the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
A referendum to choose the region's fate was proposed 30 years ago but thanks mainly to disagreement about who should vote -- Morocco wants to exclude displaced Sahrawi people, for example -- it has never happened.
The march demanded that the UN, the EU and the government of Spain "complete the decolonization process".