ELPAIS.com >In English
New democracy movement senses its moment
Activists say they were influenced by Arab revolts and protests in Greece
SOLEDAD ALCAIDE - Madrid - 17/05/2011
“For the first time, Spain’s civil society bypassed the established channels to mount its own public protest against the country’s political class. On Sunday in over 50 cities across Spain, thousands of people heeded the call of an organization called Democracia Real Ya, and joined another 200 small associations to scream out their frustration with politicians.”
It seems its getting bigger!
Berlin, London, Paris… In the next few days we’ll find out if this movement sticks around, or gets blown away.
If the former, we could be witnessing the beginning of something beautiful, although I believe it’s a bit early for this sort of thing. Sadly most of the members of our societies are still in denial.
A 15-M blog states that similar protests are being planned across Europe, in cities such as Berlin, Paris, Birmingham, Istanbul, Budapest and Brussels: cort.as/0pLZ
The Portuguese staged a similar demonstration “Geração a Rasca” about a month ago.
It quickly died a death.
I don’t think people who live in free states with decent levels of social protection can reach the level of desperation needed to spark real revolutions in the way that Eastern Europe and North Africa happened.
There may well be more demonstrations in Paris, London, Budapest, wherever. If it happpens, it will probably turn out to be this generations Live Aid.
This is a Spanish radio discussion in which representatives of the two opposing mainstream political parties who have shared power between them since the end of the Franco regime are having a bit of jovial banter with regard to whats happening in Madrid (sound familiar?). They are basically making fun of the people who are taking part in the protest, describing them in derogatory terms (sound familiar?).
An articulate lady caller then rings in and tells them that the protest is against the entire political establishment, the financial system and the bankers who have organised society in such a way that people are now relinquishing much of the advancements that their parents generation had fought for. She states that the protest consists of people of all ages and all walks of life who are sick of the Tweedledum/Tweedledee political system and the bankers etc who call the shots (Again sound familiar?).
She says rather than making jibes they should be getting worried (Nothing familiar there as obviously Paddy does what hes told whilst most definitely not wearing a tracksuit).
Show me a protest that is for that. Anytime, anywhere.
They are all organised by political interests with sectoral aims in mind in this country. Is it because people only come out for their sectoral aims? I don’t know.
