Protests in Madrid demand permission for Muslim girls to wear hijab in schools

The Spanish city of Madrid, specifically in the town of Parla, witnessed student protests demanding the right to wear the Islamic hijab in classrooms. Students from Narcís Monturiol, Nicolás Copérnico, and Humanes institutes participated in the demonstration, advocating for freedom of dress.

Coral Latorre, from the Madrid Students’ Union, led the protest, stating, “Look, everyone, I don’t wear a hijab, I am an atheist, but this fight is my fight too. It is a fight for classrooms free of racism and Islamophobia.”

Many demonstrators carried banners and chanted slogans such as “We want to study freely!” with several wearing the hijab.

Angela, a mother of two students, criticized the mid-year hijab ban on Espejo Público, saying, “I disagree with this ban. Beliefs must be respected, just as we respect wearing a cross or tattoos. Behind the hijab is a person.”

Lawyer Montserrat Suárez pointed out that Spain’s Supreme Court upheld a 2013 ruling allowing a school in Pozuelo de Alarcón to ban a student from class for wearing a hijab. She clarified, “Hijabs are not specifically banned; the law refers to head coverings, just like hats.”