War on greed: Spain’s ‘Indignant Ones’ march on Brussels

Columnist

Sunday 16 October 2011

It's a long walk from Barcelona to Brussels, but it can be done if you have time on your hands.

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by Tom Shields in Barcelona

Hundreds of young Spanish people, part of the cruel statistic of 45% youth unemployment in the country, made this long march in protest against bankers and politicians who have taken away their future.

The marchers are part of the May 15 movement, those thousands of “indignados” – the Indignant Ones – who expressed their anger and frustration earlier this year by setting up occupation camp sites in city squares all over Spain.

The tents were eventually furled and the indignados went home to carry on their struggle through weekly assembly meetings. The protest could not be over, though. Not when every second young person in the street is without work. Not when they have to rely on the banco de madre y padre – the “bank of mum and dad” – which, with growing adult employment, is also in difficulties.The indignado campaign involves all generations. I regularly see groups of grandparents of a left-wing disposition on the streets with their leaflets explaining how many jobs could be created for young people with the money paid to bail out banks. “I didn’t struggle through the Franco years to see my grandchildren suffer,” is a sentiment often heard.There is a strong gene of direct action, verging on anarchy, in the Spanish people. Now, the Che Guevara T-shirts are no longer just fashion statements; the graffiti urging the workers to take to the streets not just spray-paint art.An organisation called Juventud sin Futuro captures the mood reasonably well. Their slogan is: “No casa, no curro, no pension, no miedo.” Young people cannot buy a home. They have no work. A job with a pension is a distant dream.The “no miedo” translates as “no fear”. What they mean by this is that they have nothing to lose by taking on the system.The Spanish establishment may have hoped the May 15 movement had gone away. It is now back six months later as October 15.The May 15 uprising of the indignados has been a catalyst for worldwide protest, most recently the Occupy Wall Street initiative.The plan for yesterday was to retake the Puerta del Sol in Madrid where the indignado phenomenon started back in May. One estimate was that in 950 locations all over the world yesterday indignados of many nationalities would reinvoke the spirit of May 15.The protest in Brussels coincides with a European Union meeting which addresses the needs of banks and big business but ignores the plight of Europe’s young unemployed.The marchers from Barcelona and dozens of other European locations found little had changed when they got to Brussels.Oscar Martinez, who made the long march from Barcelona, said: “We came in peace and without provocation. We were moved from our campsite by riot police with batons, dogs and pepper sprays.”The Brussels authorities said they were merely offering better accommodation in a disused university building. Out of sight and perhaps out of mind. An option which may not be available as the October 15 movement gathers momentum.

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War on greed: Spain’s ‘Indignant Ones’ march on Brussels

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