Madrid pastoral center hosts talk by Samidoun, designated a terrorist group by the US

The San Carlos Borromeo pastoral center in the Entrevías neighborhood of Madrid hosted a talk organized by Samidoun on October 7, the third anniversary of the Hamas attack in Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed. Several Western governments have linked the pro-Palestinian group to terrorism.

Samidoun has documented ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which the United States, Canada and the European Union list as a terrorist organization. In October 2024, the US Treasury Department designated Samidoun a global terrorist organization in an action coordinated with the Canadian government.

Participants and message

Nader Sadaqa and Jaser al-Barghuthi took part by videoconference. Samidoun presented them as political prisoners, but Israel has sentenced them to six and nine life terms, respectively, for terrorist activity. Speaking from their cells, both urged those attending to step up support for Palestinian prisoners.

"Our role outside Palestine has to be multiplied. We have to redouble our efforts to support the prisoners, not only when there are anniversaries or important dates, but every day and every moment," al-Barghuthi said.

Political reaction and international restrictions

Three days after the event, the president of the regional government of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, demanded that the national government investigate whether Samidoun had also organized the protest encampment in Madrid's Puerta del Sol square. She publicly linked the organization to violence and terrorism.

Germany had already banned Samidoun's activities on its territory, on the grounds that the organization had publicly celebrated the Hamas attacks of October 7. Other countries have taken similar steps to curb the activities of groups they consider tied to international terrorism.

The San Carlos Borromeo center

The San Carlos Borromeo pastoral center lost its status as a parish in 2007. Since then it has operated as a meeting space for social and political activities of various kinds.