Key figures: at least 68–69 dead in the Urda crash · protest of 1,000+ (EFE) · second deadly high-speed crash in 2026 · election set for Nov. 29
Riot police fired tear gas outside Spain’s Transport Ministry in Madrid late Wednesday, Oct. 28, after a protest called by far-right groups over the deadly Urda high-speed train crash turned violent. Demonstrators demanded the resignations of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Transport Minister Óscar Puente as Spain began three days of official mourning on Thursday, according to NBC News.
The protest followed Wednesday morning’s collision in Toledo province, where a Renfe AVE train struck a stationary Iryo train. The Boston Report covered the crash itself in its Spain train crash live updates. This report focuses on the political fallout.
What happened outside the Transport Ministry
Spain’s news agency EFE reported that more than 1,000 people gathered at the ministry on Paseo de la Castellana, at a rally called by the far-right party Falange and other groups including Revuelta. Germany’s DW cited a figure of about 1,500 from Spain’s public broadcaster TVE Unverified claim, TVE (Spanish state broadcaster), while ABC described a crowd of several hundred. Crowd estimates differ by outlet.
EFE said the tension peaked when some participants pushed against a police cordon, and riot officers charged and used tear gas. Some protesters threw flares and other objects. ABC reported that the clashes began around 9:10 p.m. local time, when a group of about 20 people pushed into the crowd. Police cleared the area by about 9:30 p.m. Its reporter saw overturned trash bins and damaged street furniture, and some officers carried rubber-bullet guns. El Mundo reported that officers used pepper gas and rubber-ball shotguns, and that chants included “Óscar Puente asesino” (“Óscar Puente, murderer”). ABC also reported Falangist symbols among the Spanish flags.
One attendee told EFE: “This isn’t a government, it’s a lack of government, and if they don’t leave the easy way, it will be the hard way.” No official count of arrests or injuries from the protest had been published by Thursday morning.
Sánchez visits Toledo and pledges an investigation
Sánchez visited the crash area near Urda on Wednesday. NBC News quoted him saying “we need to reinforce the safety of our train service to rebuild the trust in our high-speed rail,” and that it was “not acceptable for a country like Spain to endure two high-speed train accidents in the same year.” On Thursday he attended the regional emergency coordination center (CECOPI) in Toledo. There, according to RTVE Unverified claim, RTVE (Spanish state broadcaster), he said the whole state administration was “working day and night” to answer victims’ families, clarify the details and strengthen safety. Euronews reported that he promised a firm response if negligence is proven.
Puente under pressure
Puente has said the train drivers were not to blame. According to DW, he said a computer failure knocked out the control system at Urda and triggered an automatic stop on a 63-kilometer section of track. The ADIF control center then told the Renfe train at 8:36 a.m. to resume running “with normality,” an order Puente called “inexplicable.” The train covered about 25 km before hitting the Iryo train at 8:53 a.m.
Asked whether he would resign, Puente said: “Right now what I’m thinking about is clarifying this, I’m not thinking about myself,” RTVE reported. RTVE added that La Moncloa says the government backs the minister, even as some of the government’s parliamentary partners have asked him for more explanations.
By the numbers: two deadly crashes in one year
EFE reported that the January crash at Adamuz, in Córdoba province, killed 46 people and injured 152. With the Urda death toll at 69 as of Thursday, according to NBC News and RTVE, the two crashes together have killed 115 people in 2026 (TBR calculation). Urda is now 23 deaths, or 50%, deadlier than Adamuz. Early reports on Wednesday put the toll at 68. NBC News said Spain’s high-speed network had no deadly crash in its first three decades of service before this year. Both 2026 crashes involved trains run by state-owned Renfe and privately owned Iryo.
Election backdrop
The crash comes four weeks before a snap national election on Nov. 29, which Sánchez called after his Socialist party lost several votes on housing legislation, according to NBC News. RTVE reported that every party except Vox paused its pre-campaign after the crash. Corriere della Sera’s CorriereTv reported that Solidaridad, a union close to Vox, had called a separate protest in Madrid, and that Vox asked its representatives to attend memorial gatherings at town halls. NBC News said polls show Sánchez facing an uphill battle. He has also faced corruption accusations against his party and his wife, which both deny.
Sources
- NBC News: Protests erupt in Spain after train crash kills dozens
- EFE: Cargas policiales en la manifestación ultraderechista en Madrid
- ABC: La manifestación frente al Ministerio de Transportes acaba con disturbios
- DW: Spain train crash live coverage
- RTVE: El accidente de Urda pausa la precampaña (Spanish state broadcaster)
Additional sources
- El Mundo: Protestas y cargas policiales en Madrid
- Euronews: Sánchez pledges tough line on possible safety failures
- CorriereTv: Police charges in Madrid after the rail disaster
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