Thousands of Spanish of all ages marched through Madrid despite a scorching heatwave, against the suspension of “Madrid Central” anti-pollution plan, which banned some diesel and petrol cars from the city centre.
The policy was suspended by José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the recently elected People’s Party mayor of the Spanish capital.
The protesters chanted “Yes we can, I do want Madrid central,” while others were holding banners that read “I want to breath free” and “We aspire to have a Madrid without smoke”.
Madrid's scheme mirrored those of other European cities such as London, Stockholm and Milan, whose governments are ramping up anti-pollution efforts as evidence of the harmful effects of vehicle emissions growth.
Under the plan, certain petrol and diesel cars were prohibited from entering a restricted area of around five sq km (two sq miles). Drivers were fined €90 (£80) if they did so.
The European Commission has warned Madrid it faces sanctions if it fails to meet air quality standards.
Follow the latest news on Google News
