Just How Many Demonstrated in Santa Cruz?

The contentious demonstration yesterday, that took place in Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz, in favour of a Ley de Residencia (Residence Law) ended up as one of those farcically humorous events where organizers, police and authorities are unable to agree on the numbers who turned up. According to the organizers, there were more than 20,000 demonstrators. The town hall chipped in with an estimate of 8,500 participants. According to police sources, it was less than 2,000.

No, don't ask me who to believe: I wasn't there.

Banners, provided by the organizers, had pro-Residence Law slogans such as, "Enough, we can't fit any more in." Has it really got that bad?

Twenty demonstrated against the march with a banner saying, "Build bridges, forget barriers. Our race, human, our heritage, the earth", chanting "No human is illegal."

Others appear to wish to turn the clocks back more than 500 years - and presumably return to dressing in goat skins - with an interpretation of "My Blessed Guanche Land." Bringing up the rear of the march were representatives of an extreme right Nazi group, who had demonstrated a few weeks ago on the south of the island, flanked by National Police agents, whom the organizers had requested be separated from the event, but otherwise, according to reports, all occurred without incident.

Menos de 2.000 personas acuden en Santa Cruz de Tenerife a manifestarse por la Ley de Residencia