The slogans and the signs say the
Spain-reality:
“ Liberty , Equality and Corruption. Do we know who our
politicians are working for? It's called democracy and it's not it!”
“Real Democracy Now”
“We have the right to dream, and for it to become true”
“Be Indignant”
“For A True Democracy”
“No Corrupt Politicians, Businessmen, Bankers”
“Take the Streets”
“Less Policing, More Education”
“They Call It Democracy, But It Isn't”
Slogans cited above reveal a reality, a reality of indignation
and aspiration, and this has put neoliberalism on the dock in Spain . This is a
reality neoliberalism is facing in countries. In Spain , the neoliberalism is
being implemented under the stewardship of the socialists.
Tens of thousands of protesters, young, old, pensioners,
university students, civil servants, immigrants, campaigners for local
languages, filled the main squares of about 50 cities including Madrid ,
Barcelona , Seville , Bilbao , Zaragoza , Valencia for about a week. They are los
indignados , the indignant.
Protesters rallied against the country's economic crisis,
against its superhigh jobless rate. In a wave of outrage over economic
stagnation and government austerity marking a shift after years of patience
they took to the streets. They protested against politicians, bankers and
authorities' handling of the economic crisis. They defied a ban, the Supreme
Court upheld, on political protests, but police was not active to enforce it.
The apparent inaction was a political move by the authority. The government
feared that an enforcement of the ban order could provoke clashes that in turn
could hurt the Socialists. The protest took a political character.
The week-long protest “marks a shift in Spain where up to now
people have scarcely protested.” This is the strongest outburst of spontaneous
protests since Spain plunged into recession that followed the collapse of the
2008 property bubble. The protesters, known as M-15 as the protests began on
May 15, lamented the economic crisis Spain is experiencing. They protested
against the indifference of mainstream politicians, who ran Sunday's elections
in 13 of the 17 regions and its more than 8,000 municipalities. The ruling
Socialist Party is going to digest a big loss in the elections, a political
price for following neoliberalism.
The protesters expressed determination to stand against the
crisis wrought by capital creating bubbles with illusions. They expressed
solidarity by raising arms in an assembly even after midnight in the Puerta del
Sol square in Madrid . A protester put a sticker on his boot denouncing the
existing democracy. The youth hang banner with the sign “Indignant” on the top
of a building in Madrid . They painted caricatures of the main political
figures. More caricature is in the wings.
These tell the strong sentiment of the citizens against job
insecurity and government spending cuts. Their demands include jobs, better
living standards, a fairer system of democracy and changes to the austerity
plans. Actually, the demand is for state's enhanced role and responsibility in
providing education, health and employment. The educated unemployed are
demanding their rightful role in society and production. They are also,
according to the BBC, calling for an end to domination of the political system
by the two main parties. The demonstrations turned political.
A news agency report said: “ With tents, mattresses, a kitchen,
a workshop and even a pharmacy, a protest camp in Madrid has grown into a real
‘urban village' for thousands of young people. Under blue plastic tarpaulins,
demonstrators have gathered in the landmark Puerta del Sol square in the centre
of the Spanish capital. Many of them have spent several days and nights there,
to decry politicians who left Spain with a 21.3% unemployment rate.” There were
tents with food, tents for political debates, even a tent for childcare. These
were not Don Quixotic exercises.
The Spanish unemployment rate, highest in the eurozone, was in
the highest level in the first quarter of the year in fourteen years. A
government estimate said on April 21, 2011 that about five million persons were
out of work. It is unprecedented. A gift of neoliberalism! The youth
unemployment rate is 40%. Some sources cite it as 45%. In areas, it has jumped
to 50%. The youth are angry; they are qualified, but there is no work. In terms
of employment, it is a Tunisia-situation.
Spaniards' demonstrations crossed borders. News agency reports
said: Expatriate Spaniards organized demonstration in London on May 18, 2011.
The movement was coordinated through social media and Twitter. Now, it seems
clear that it is not only foreign powers that use social media to foment
discontent in countries they like to intervene. Protesting people also use it.
Prior to the present demonstration, on April 17, demonstrators
made a human barricade in front of police. Their t-shirts bore the sign: “We
still got no home”. Their posters said: “no house, no job, no pension”. At that
time there were flats for sale in Madrid . But that is beyond the reach of the
unemployed. The demonstration was followed by clash with police, injury and
arrest of demonstrators.
In the movement, there is no flag or affiliation to any party.
The protest, as it appears from the demands and slogans, are also against the
unfair political situation that Spain 's ruling class has built up and
nourishes. The demonstrators were “asking for a change in the political
system.” Some of the protestors wrote to BBC: “We have no option but to vote
for the two biggest parties in Spain , who are more or less the same. They are
unable to solve any problem, it is just a nest of corruption. We are tired. In
short, we want a working democracy. We want a change.” They view the political
system that exists as unfair. So, they protest “against the political situation
that allows more than 100 people who are accused of corruption across the
country to stand in the next elections.” The electoral law in Spain has also
turned controversial. It is alleged that the vote computing system benefits the
big political parties while leaves the smaller ones without any possibility of
achieving any success.
A number of protesters consider their movement as “anti-big
political parties, both the one in power and the main ones in opposition. It's
an anti-capitalism, anti-market ruled society, anti-banks, anti-political
corruption, anti-failed democracy, anti-degraded democracy and pro-real
democracy protest.” “The economy and unemployment are key to the protest
because that binds all of us together,” said Jon Aguirre Such, a spokesman for
the Real Democracy Now, which is one of the organizers of the movement.
The movement took serious political character as the
demonstrating youth called on people not to vote on Sunday for the two main
parties, the Socialists and the centre-right opposition Popular Party. The
rich-poor question has also been raised.
Spain has “built more homes than England , France and Germany
combined, of which too many now stand empty. Much of the financing for these
superfluous homes was done through still seemingly healthy large Spanish banks
like Santander and BBVA. … Santander is connected to the entire global
financial system.”
The Spanish movement will not announce neoliberalism's last
journey and will not herald emergence of a new politics. But it will widen and
deepen political lessons, help emergence of new politics.
