A wave of anti-austerity fervour continues to sweep through southern Europe, as tens of thousands of people marched through Madrid on Saturday in a show of strength by the new left-wing Spanish party Podemos.
The fledgling radical leftist party hopes to emulate the success of Greece's Syriza party in the Spanish general election later this year. Podemos supporters from across Spain converged onto Cibeles fountain Saturday before packing the avenue leading to Puerta del Sol square.
State broadcaster TVE said that hundreds of thousands were at the march, but no official attendance figures were provided. Podemos ("We Can") aims to shatter the country's predominantly two-party system and the "March for Change" gathered crowds in the same place where sit-in protests against political and financial corruption laid the party's foundations in 2011.
The party's rise is also greatly due to the charisma of its pony-tailed leader, Pablo Iglesias, a 36-year-old political science professor.
"We want change," Iglesias told the crowd. "I know that governing is difficult but those who have serious dreams can change things."
Podemos Rally
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Open Image ModalPeople shout slogans during a Podemos (We Can) party march in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalPeople shout slogans during a Podemos (We Can) party march in Madrid, Spain (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalPeople wave Republican and Podemos party flags during a Podemos (We Can) party march in Madrid, Spain (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalPeople gather in the main square of Madrid during a Podemos (We Can) party march in Madrid (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image Modal Tens of thousands of people, possibly more, are marching through Madrid's streets in a powerful show of strength by Spain's fledgling radical leftist party Podemos (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalA man shouts slogans as he holds a banners reading "Madrid welcomes you, March for Change" during a Podemos (We Can) party march in Madrid, Spain (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalPeople shout slogans during a Podemos (We Can) party march in Madrid, Spain (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalA man waves a Republican flag as people gather in the main square of Madrid during a Podemos (We Can) party march in Madrid, Spain, (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalLeaders of Podemos (We Can) Pablo Iglesias speaks on stage at the end of a march on January 31, 2015 in Madrid, Spain (credit:Pablo Blazquez Dominguez via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalPeople hold up banners during a march of Podemos (We can) political party on January 31, 2015 in Madrid, Spain (credit:David Ramos via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalDemonstrators gather at Puerta del Sol during the 'March for Change' planned by left-wing party Podemos that emerged out of the 'Indignants' movement, in Madrid (credit:GERARD JULIEN via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalPodemos leader Pablo Iglesias (C) looks on as he takes part in the 'March for Change' planned by left-wing party Podemos (credit:GERARD JULIEN via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalPeople hold up banners during a march of Podemos (We can) political party (credit:David Ramos via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalAccording to the last opinion polls Podemos (We Can), the anti-austerity left-wing party emerged out of popular movements and officially formed last year, has wider support than the traditional parties of Spain, the Spanish Prime Minister's right-wing party Partido Popular and the main opposition party, the Socialist (PSOE). Spain will hold General Elections this year by the end of November. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) (credit:David Ramos via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalLeaders of Podemos (We Can) wave to his supporters at the end of a march on January 31, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. (credit:David Ramos via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalA placard reading 'Don't shut up' is seen as demonstrators gather at Puerta del Sol during the 'March for Change' planned by left-wing party Podemos that emerged out of the 'Indignants' movement, in Madrid (credit:PEDRO ARMESTRE via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalLeader of Podemos (We Can) Pablo Iglesias gestures to his supporters at the end of a march on January 31, 2015 in Madrid, Spain (credit:David Ramos via Getty Images)
Senior party member Rita Maestre told The Associated Press that their aim was to show that Podemos is the instrument for change. "We called the demonstration in the hope of lighting the torch."
In roughly a year, Podemos has leap-frogged from being the dream of a handful of university professors and activists to a political party.
Opinion polls show the party could possibly take the No.1 spot in upcoming elections and thus trigger one of the biggest political shake-ups in Spain since democracy was restored in 1978 after decades of dictatorship.
"The two-party framework has suffered a change, it now really does seem like a third political force can achieve government, so yes, I think it can have a great impact," said literature student Alicia Sanchez, 20.