The Spanish Revolution

In the wake of Spain's elections this past May there's been a growing backlash of protesters calling themselves the Indignados (Indignant Ones), who have nonviolently claimed sixty city-squares across the country, beseeching economic democracy, political justice, and peace. Recently, thousands in the movement blocked the entrance to parliament in an attempt to boycott the region's austere budget approval, forcing half of the representatives to abandon the session amidst the cries of: “You do not represent us!” and “Shame on you!”

The Indignados movement is a response to anti-social-neo-liberal policies being put forward by politicians in the swill of Europe's impending financial collapse, politicians who no longer seem to represent the people, but rather big business and the wealthy elite. This has escalated since the global financial bubble burst in 2008, which has now metastasized into a global recession. The primary catalysts for the protests are a 20 percent unemployment rate in Spain, with a disturbing 44 percent for 20-somethings. Like the U.S., Spain's pseudo-socialist government has confronted the crises with the characteristic austerity measures, proposing to cut wages for civil servants by 5 percent, slash unemployment benefits, abolish maternity grants, inhibit pensions, raise the value added tax and augment regulations so as to make it easier and cheaper for companies to lay people off, and heighten the retirement age to 67.  Spain's new budget package includes capital-friendly measures such as allocating pardons and favorable rates to tax-evaders as to incentivize them to repatriate 50 billion euros held offshore. Under the facade of “reform” and loosening the link between inflation and wages, anti-labor measures are being instituted.

In response to the 'Indignados' request for electoral reform, the Prime Minister of Spain, Jose Zapatero, announced this could only be possible through the consensus of all political parties, avoiding the reality that these politicians no longer represent the people, much less the healthy environment of the planet. In response, commissions of the 'Indignados' from squares across the country met in Madrid's Puerta del Sol Square to discuss the future of the movement. They found common ground on three important actions by popular assembly: 1) to boycott the country's Town Halls; 2) to vacate city squares, and move their social activity into city neighborhoods in an attempt to expand the movement's following; 3) to further organize protests on exact dates focused on particular issues, including a firm commitment to a global protest of 'Indignados' on October 15th.

In addition to Spain, the start of the summer has also seen protests in the U.S., Portugal, Greece, Ireland, and France. In some cases, violent police-state reactionism has ensued. In Portugal, where most city squares have also been demonstrated on by 'Indignados', protesters of the general elections in Lisbon were attacked and beaten by police. On the same evening, in Athens, Greece, 80,000 demonstrators gathered in the city's main square in opposition to the country's 'austerity measures'.

In developed countries this trend to destroy the ability of workers to demand expenditures on such requirements as a living wage, pensions, secure and safe working conditions, and health care seems to demand the questions: 'Are we still simply beneath the yoke of indentured servitude of the Middle Ages under the veil of more complex guises?' and 'With socialists like this, who needs capitalists?'

Image by sergi MD on Flickr courtesy of Creative Commons Licensing.