More than 100,000 protesters gathered in the streets of Madrid on Sunday in the latest of a series of protests against a massive $23 billion water diversion project in Spain. The plan, which is now before the country’s parliament, would divert the Ebro River in the northeast and involve the construction of 120 dams to bring water to the dry southeastern parts of the country. Ecologists say water shortages in the south could be better solved through conservation and small-scale projects. And they fear that the proposed project would destroy the habitat of the Iberian lynx, a species nearing extinction. Organizers of the demonstration, including farmer organizations, labor unions, and environmental groups, estimate that 400,000 attended the rally, while police say 120,000 attended.
