Dimitris Kouimtsidis
IRENE Montero has been caught off camera blaming fear of the coronavirus as the reason why the 8-M march didn’t have as many people as previous years.
The Equality Minister was a guest on the politics programme En Jake on ETB when she made the remarks off air, while the cameras were still rolling.
During this year’s march for Women’s Rights on March 8, only 120,000 people took to the streets in Spain, compared to the 375,000 in 2019.
The ETB journalist asked Montero why she thought that was, prior to their interview when the two were getting ready.
The Podemos politician, unaware that a camera was recording her, replied: “I think that it was because of the coronavirus.”
According to ABC, the conversation was then distributed by ETB to the Federacion de Organismos de Radio y Television Autonomicos (FORTA), which is the association of the public broadcasting networks for the autonomous regions.
The 32-year-old points to the risk of contagion from the virus as a worry people had, on the same weekend that the Government called for people to take to the streets for the 8-M march, while also allowing a Vox rally at the Palacio Vistalegre in Madrid.
Montero however also claims that on the date of the feminist demonstration, the ability to control infections was ‘limited’.
“The Government’s stance was correct, as it was based on medical data”, the Equality Minister added.
The PP have requested Montero to appear before Congress and explain what she said to the journalist.
In addition, the former Speaker of Congress, Ana Pastor has requested that Montero testifies as a witness before the Prosecutor’s Office, in case a lawsuit is brought forward regarding the 8-M march being allowed to go ahead.
Jose Manuel Franco, Secretary-General of the Community of Madrid is being investigated as to whether he was negligent in allowing the feminist rally to take place.
