The wind of the Arab revolution has arrived in Europe. These days, Spain has been rocked by a wave of young M-15 movement, which just took over May 15 Puerta del Sol in Madrid, prepared to stay. To the cry of "real democracy now!" The protest erupted, and in addition to "Acampada in Madrid other tents were raised in almost every city in the country, from Barcelona to Zaragoza from Valencia to Bilbao ...
there are nearly sixty squares occupied . It is yet another explosion of the precarious generation, which again holds together the social centers and civil society movement, united by a precarious condition and exasperated by the lack of democracy in relation to decisions taken by Europe.
The revolt of 14 December in Rome, the oceanic events in Portugal, the continuing general strike in Greece, the movement against the cuts in Britain ... the wave will not stop. Spain has suffered the crisis in tough shape, with an unemployment rate that exceeds 20%, a widespread insecurity that affects the lives of younger generations, from 700 € per month wages and rents skyrocketing, and especially a center-left government that has not been able to handle the crisis unless supporting banks with € avalanches in bankruptcy.
Nothing for the people, left to itself in a country with a welfare unworthy and no prospect of improvement. If you are radical forms of protest, peaceful, colorful (see some pictures) but determined not to give up, the requests are a mix of demands on the ethics of politics, direct democracy and social justice: the abolition of unjust laws that persecute migrants; abolition of the monarchy (and yes, Spain has a monarchy), a fairer tax (eg VAT progressive earnings-related), the abolition of annuities and pensions to politicians, the minimum wage of 1,200 €, the return of privatized services in public hands, and the nationalization of the banks money saved by the state.
Today in Italy (and around the world) there will be demonstrations of support to the Puerta del Sol. It is unclear where it will arrive this movement, but it is clear by now that along the coasts of the Mediterranean feel strongly the determination of the younger generation. It is not known how and when something like this happens in Italy ...
But surely now is not so far away. As for the disappointment in the ability of policy to address the problems of economic insecurity and injustice of a system that saves the banks and sinking people, Italy is not very different from the other countries of the north shore. As for forms instead, each chooses its own reality: we believe in the strike precarious.
In a few months. In the photo, the youth protest to the Puerta del Sol in Madrid on May 18 last year. Click to enlarge 
there are nearly sixty squares occupied . It is yet another explosion of the precarious generation, which again holds together the social centers and civil society movement, united by a precarious condition and exasperated by the lack of democracy in relation to decisions taken by Europe.
The revolt of 14 December in Rome, the oceanic events in Portugal, the continuing general strike in Greece, the movement against the cuts in Britain ... the wave will not stop. Spain has suffered the crisis in tough shape, with an unemployment rate that exceeds 20%, a widespread insecurity that affects the lives of younger generations, from 700 € per month wages and rents skyrocketing, and especially a center-left government that has not been able to handle the crisis unless supporting banks with € avalanches in bankruptcy.
Nothing for the people, left to itself in a country with a welfare unworthy and no prospect of improvement. If you are radical forms of protest, peaceful, colorful (see some pictures) but determined not to give up, the requests are a mix of demands on the ethics of politics, direct democracy and social justice: the abolition of unjust laws that persecute migrants; abolition of the monarchy (and yes, Spain has a monarchy), a fairer tax (eg VAT progressive earnings-related), the abolition of annuities and pensions to politicians, the minimum wage of 1,200 €, the return of privatized services in public hands, and the nationalization of the banks money saved by the state.
Today in Italy (and around the world) there will be demonstrations of support to the Puerta del Sol. It is unclear where it will arrive this movement, but it is clear by now that along the coasts of the Mediterranean feel strongly the determination of the younger generation. It is not known how and when something like this happens in Italy ...
But surely now is not so far away. As for the disappointment in the ability of policy to address the problems of economic insecurity and injustice of a system that saves the banks and sinking people, Italy is not very different from the other countries of the north shore. As for forms instead, each chooses its own reality: we believe in the strike precarious.
In a few months. In the photo, the youth protest to the Puerta del Sol in Madrid on May 18 last year. Click to enlarge
- 'Spanish revolution' - BBC News (20/05/2011)
- Youths defiant at 'Spanish revolution' camp in Madrid - BBC News (20/05/2011)
- Update on "Spanish Revolution" protests: riot police surrounding protesters in Madrid (18/05/2011)
- Nobody expects the Spanish revolution: photos from "Real Democracy" protests in Spain (18/05/2011)
- Inspired by Arab Spring, Spain's youthful 15-M movement spreads in Europe (20/05/2011)
Web book #spanishrevolution (analysis, statements, supports, calls, camps and events in different cities, spread to Europe, criticism, and The Contra). See:
ReplyDeletehttp://aims.selfip.org/spanish_revolution.htm