MADRID, Spain: Police and protesters clashed in Madrid on May 22 as tens of thousands of people marched to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez following a series of corruption scandals.

At least seven people were reportedly injured.

A small group of protesters tried to push past barriers near Sanchez's home during the rally, which was otherwise mostly peaceful.

Police stopped and detained some masked people on the main road leading to Moncloa Palace, where the Socialist leader lives with his family, according to TV footage. Three people were arrested, police said.

Protesters held banners reading "Resignation of the socialist mafia" and other slogans, along with many red-and-gold national flags, during the "March for Dignity" organized by the Spanish Civil Society association. Leaders from the opposition People's Party and the far-right Vox party also joined the protest.

Earlier this week, a Spanish court said that former Socialist prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was being investigated for allegedly leading a network involved in influence-peddling and money laundering, adding pressure on the left-wing government. Zapatero denied the claims.

Sanchez had briefly considered resigning in April 2024 after a judge opened an investigation into his wife, Begoña Gomez. He has defended his family, saying the accusations are politically motivated and pushed by far-right opponents. Gomez has denied any wrongdoing, and last month a Spanish prosecutor asked the judge to close the case, which far-right groups had filed.

Organizers said about 80,000 people attended the protest, while a government official in Madrid estimated the crowd at around 40,000.