Spain has been making the world news for a little over a month for its youth unemployment protests and political activism in major cities. Last weekend in Madrid, masses of people rallied for the government to acknowledge how social spending cuts and the Euro-pact are affecting Spanish citizens. Youth protesters, called “los indignados,” have been camping out in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol since May 15th, in addition to occupations in other cities.
While in Madrid, we witnessed the makeshift campground at Puerta del Sol in addition to some of the major rallies on the 19th. Although additional police officers were brought in for the event, the protesters seemed relatively peaceful; perhaps Berkeley has neutralized my perception. News reports say Barcelona rallies ended in violence, but it’s possible we missed any major commotion.
Signs, chanting and clumps of people lined the Paseo del Prado, adjacent to Retiro Park. I felt sort of out of place as a tourist, only crossing the avenue to access the park and museums. We just stumbled across the demonstration haphazardly, but being there made me consider the scale of the problem. It certainly was not like Murcia with the small set up of tents, this was a meaningful statement. Thousands gathered, not just youth and the unemployed, but all ages were walking. By the late afternoon, all of the statues were decorated with signs calling for change in the economy and the government and the rallies had subsided.
I cannot imagine camping out in a public square for more than a month, but obviously numerous people feel it is a cause worth fighting for. It should be interesting to see if anything comes of the protests and how long the occupation is allowed to continue. Anyhow, I thought witnessing a current event was a worthy blogging opportunity to bring us into the new 2011 summer studio in España. For more information on recent happenings: BBC article. -- molly
