While the recent “No Kings” anti-Trump demonstrations in the US were widely publicised, several hundred American citizens in Spain joined in the protests too in Málaga, Barcelona and Madrid.
On October 18th, Americans residing in Spain joined their countrymen across the pond in uniting against President Donald Trump and his policies, and took to the streets to show their frustration.
Protests organised by the Democrats Abroad organisation took place in major cities including Madrid, Barcelona and Málaga. They were held in parallel with those in the US and 17 other countries.
“Our concern about US democracy has been heightened by the attacks on our constitutional rights,” said Andrew Anderson, chair of DA Spain.
“To that end, as Americans abroad, we want to express our condemnation of the actions of the present Administration.”
These were the second anti-Trump protests organised by Democrats Abroad this year, after similar demos in Spanish cities with large American populations last March.
The peaceful protests featured music, speeches, signs and chants, focusing on the impact of the Trump administration’s actions on people in the US, Spain, the rest of Europe, and around the world.
‘Dear world, we are so sorry, signed by 75 million Americans,’ read one banner, referring to those who voted against Trump, compared to the 77 million in favour.
In Málaga, some 200 people took part in the protests took held in the Plaza de la Marina with messages such as “no tyrants”.
While many Americans of course took part, citizens of all nationalities were welcome and attended to show their support for the cause.
Last week, President Trump made a third direct threat to Spain in just nine days because of the government’s refusal to increase defence spending to 5 percent of GDP. He even suggested that Spain be expelled from Nato over its failure to match the higher requirement.
“I think it’s very disrespectful to Nato. In fact, I was thinking about giving them trade punishment through tariffs because of what they did, and I may do that,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Pedro Sánchez has argued that Spain should meet its capacity objectives rather than fixed spending targets, including cybersecurity and the environment.
According to data from Spain’s Immigration Observatory, as of June 30th 2025, there were 48,713 US nationals residing in Spain.
