2011–2012 Spanish protests.docx

t related to economics, Spanish media has reported that in February the so-called Sinde lawpassed. An anti-internet download law which allows the judicial system to close down any web page which shows links or allows illegal download of copyright content, as one of the reasons that led to the protests. The law, approved by PSOE, PP and Convergence and Union has been heavily criticized in Spanish forums and social networks. After its approval, an anonymous campaign called #nolesvotes appeared on the Internet, calling on refusing to vote any of the parties that passed the law.lt;/ref> Prior to May 15 and the following camp-sites many demonstrations were held in Spain during 2011 and serving as a precedent of the protests, such as the April 7th demonstration in Madrid by the student group Youth without Future ( which gathered 5,000 people. Spanish media has linked the demonstrations with the 2008–2009 protests against the Bologna Process lt;/ref> The Portuguese 2011 Portuguese protests movement also served as an inspiration. Organization On January 2011, the digital platform Democracia real YA was created on Spanish social networks and forums.lt;/ref> Using Twitter and Facebook it called "the unemployed, poorly paid, the subcontractors, the precarious, young people..." to take the streets on May 15 in the following places (in alphabetical order): A Coruña Albacete Algeciras Alicante Almería Arcos de la Frontera Badajoz Barcelona, Bilbao Burgos Cáceres, Spain Cadiz Castellón de la Plana Ciudad Real Córdoba (Spain) Cuenca, Spain Ferrol, Spain Figueres Fuengirola Gijón Granada Guadalajara (Spain) Huelva Jaén, Spain Lanzarote La Palma León (Spain) Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Lleida Logroño Lugo Madrid, Málaga Menorca Mérida, Spain Monforte de Lemos Murcia Ourense Oviedo Palma, Majorca Pamplona Plasencia Ponferrada Puertollano Salamanca San Sebastián Santa Cruz de Tenerife Santander, Cantabria Santiago de Compostela Seville Soria Tarragona Toledo, Spain Torrevieja Ubrique Valencia, Spain Valladolid Vigo Vitoria-Gasteiz and Zaragoza ¡Democracia Real Ya!; [http://democraciarealya.es/?page_id=580 Convocatorias] 15 May 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011. That same day, small demonstrations in support of the Spanish ones were organised in Dublin Lisbon, Amsterdam Istanbul Bologna London and Paris. Before the demonstrations, Democracia real YAstaged several symbolic events, such as the occupation of a bank in Murcia on May 13.lt;/ref> At the time of the demonstrations, the website from Democracia Real YA had the support of over 500 diverse associations, whilst continuing to reject any collaboration from any political party or labour union, defending the protests independence from all institutionalised political ideology. Protests in 2011 May 2011 May 15 The first protest was called under the motto "we are not goods in the hands of politicians and bankers and was focused on opposition to what the protesters called "antisocial means in the hands of bankers". Partly referring to the changes made in 2010 to contain the 2010–2011 European sovereign debt crisis through bailout of the banks, which the Spanish society saw as responsible for the crisis. At the same time the government kept announcing social program cutbacks. Protesters also demanded more democracy, a new electoral law and an end to political corruption as well as other claims, such as Nationalization File Democracia real YA Madrid.jpg Protests took place in all the planned cities. According to Democracia real YA, 50,000 people gathered in Madrid alone. The National Police Corps of Spain however, placed the number at 20,000.lt;/ref> The march started in Plaza de Cibeles and ended in Puerta del Sol where several manifestos were read. Also according to the organisers, 15,000 gathered in the demonstration in Barcelona, which ended in front of the Parliament of Catalonia In other cities such as Granada, up to 5,000 protesters showed up and the protest took place without incident. Except for an exchange of insults between some protesters and members of the Fraternity of the Virgin of Rosario, whose procession overlapped with the end of the protest after the latter had gone on longer than expected. In Santiago de Compostela, a group of eight hooded people smashed several banks and local businesses.lt;/ref>lt;/ref>lt;/ref> It is estimated that the protesters that day were followed by about 130,000 people throughout Spain.lt;/ref> At the end of Madrids demonstration, protesters blocked the Gran Vía (Madrid) avenue and staged a peaceful sit-in in Callao street, to which police responded beating protesters with truncheons. As a result of the clashes and the following riots, several shop windows were destroyed and trash containers burnt. 24 people were arrested and five police officers injured.lt;/ref> On 17 May, Democracia real YA condemned the "brutal police repression" and rejected having any relation with the incidents. After the incidents, a group of 100 people headed to Puerta del Sol and started the camping in the middle of the square which would result in the following days protests.lt;/ref>lt;/ref> May 16 During the day, several people gathered in Puerta del Sol and decided to stay in the square until the elections on 22 May. Meanwhile, 200 people started a similar action in Barcelonas Plaça Catalunya although police had first tried to disperse the crowds. That day the tag #spanishrevolution, as well as other ones related to the protests, became a trending topic in the social-network Twitter. May 17 File Acampada Sol ph03.jpg In the early hours of May 17, police cleared the Puerta del Sol square and removed the 150 people who had camped out. Two protesters were arrested and one injured.lt;/ref>lt;/ref> As a response to the eviction and police violence, protesters called via SMS, Facebook and Twitter for a mass response at 8 pm in several Spanish squares. Large groups of demonstrators returned to protest in various cities, standing apart from the group in Madrid. This time the protests were not called together by Democracia real YA. In a few cities, the police allowed the protesters to camp out, as took place in A Coruña where more than 1,000 people gathered.La Voz de Galicia; [http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/espana/2011/05/17/00031305646837535184832.htm Varias acampadas reavivan las movilizaciones de «indignados» en Galicia] 17 May 2011 (consultado el mismo día). In Madrid more than 12,000 people gathered and about 200 protesters organized into an Popular assembly during which they decided to organize themselves for spending the night in the square, creating cleaning, communication, extension, materials and legal committees. Previously they had received a great deal of help from small businesses such as food.El Diario Montañés; [http://www.eldiariomontanes.es/rc/20110517/mas-actualidad/nacional/cientos-indignados-vuelven-tomar-201105172059.html Miles de indignadosvuelven a tomar la Puerta del Sol], 17 May 2011 (consultado el mismo día)Pérez-Lanzac, Carmen, de El País; http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2011/05/17/actualidad/1305623988_837783.html Indignados y acampados], 17 May 2011 (consultado el mismo día). Protests and nighttime camp-outs took place in 30 cities around Spain including Barcelona and Valencia.El Mundo; http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2011/05/17/espana/1305649774.html Acampadas en cadena hasta el próximo 22-M] The protests gained the support of people in the United Kingdom, who announced that they would sit outside of the Spanish embassy from May 18 until 22nd. The protest in Plaza del Sol on the night of the May 17 consisted of about 4,000 people according to the authorities. Three hundred of them stayed until the dawn of May 18.Muñoz Lara, Aurora, de El País; http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2011/05/16/actualidad/1305579962_497160.html El movimiento 15-M abarrota Sol] Earlier that day, dozens of people gathered in front of the courthouse in Madrid where the people arrested during the May 15 demonstration were held. All detainees were released. ====May 18==== [[File:Acampada Sol ph18.jpg|thumb|right|Sol, 18 May, early morning]] In Madrid, the protesters put up a large tarp canopy beneath which they passed out signs with the intention of spending the night there between the May 17 and 18. According to a reporter from El País]], many of them wore carnations, much as took place during the [[Carnation Revolution|Portuguese Carnation Revolution]]. In addition, they organized a food stand which provided food donated by local businesses and set up a [[webcam]] to provide news from Puerta del Sol through the website Ustream.tv]]. The protesters were advised not to drink alcohol or to organize into groups of more than 20 people, as these acts could provoke a legal police crackdown.{{cite news|title=Miles de personas toman las calles y pasan la noche en la Puerta del Sol|url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2011/05/17/madrid/1305655963.html|accessdate=29 December 2011|newspaper=El Mundo}} The police ordered protesters to disperse in Valencia, Tenerife and Las Palmas. During the evacuation of the Plaza del Carmen in Granada three people were arrested.Ideal.es; http://www.ideal.es/granada/20110517/local/granada/democracia-real-convoca-acampada-201105171745.html La Policía Nacional retira a los indignados acampados en la Plaza del Carmen de Granada] (Retrieved 18 May 2011).Ideal.es; http://www.ideal.es/granada/20110518/local/granada/tres-indignados-detenidos-desalojo-plaza-carmen-granada-201105180936.html Tres indignados detenidos tras el desalojo en la Plaza del Carmen de Granada] (Retrieved 18 May 2011). Speeches continued on throughout the afternoon. The protests grew to include [[León, Spain|León]], [[Seville]], where a camp out started as of May 19, and in other provincial capitals and cities of Spain. Support groups were created on social networks for each camp out through the social network Twitter and other national and international networks. oogle Docs and other servers began to receive download requests for documents needed to legally request permission for new protests.{{cite web|title=La #spanishrevolution se blinda legalmente a gracias Google Docs|url=http://www.antena3.com/noticias/tecnologia/spanishrevolution-blinda-legalmente-gracias-google-docs_2011051700166.html|work=Antena 3|accessdate=29 December 2011}} In the morning, the ederación de Asociaciones de Vecinos de Barcelona (FAVB) announced their support of the protests in Barcelona.Federación de Asociaciones de Vecinos de Barcelona (en catalán); http://www.favb.cat/ La Favb crida a recolzar lacampada de plaça Catalunya], 18 May 2011 (consultado el mismo día). Protesters agreed to hold meetings between their organizing committees each day at 1 pm and [[Popular assembly|assemblies]] at 8 pm.El País; http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2011/05/18/actualidad/1305725291_126850.html Un ágora instalado en el kilómetro 0], 18 May 2011 (consultado el mismo día). In addition to he Washington Post which covered the protests on May 15, news reports took place on the 18th in various media outlets. Among them was Le Monde]], the most widely circulated newspaper in French with an article that noted the rarity of such large scale protests in Spain.e Monde (en francés); http://www.lemonde.fr/europe/article/2011/05/18/les-jeunes-espagnols-dans-la-rue-pour-clamer-leur-ras-le-bol_1523749_3214.html Les jeunes Espagnols dans la rue pour clamer leur ras-le-bol], 18 May 2011 (consultado el mismo día). The German newspaper Der Spiegel]], noted the importance of the effects of what has been called "The Facebook Generation" and the youth on the protests.er Spiegel (en alemán); http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,763385,00.html Job-Misere treibt Spaniens Jugend auf die Straße], 18 May 2011 (consultado el mismo día). The Portuguese paper [[Jornal de Notícias]] reported on the protests in Madrid on May 18 as soon as it was known that they had been prohibited.Jornal de Notícias(en portugués); [http://www.jn.pt/PaginaInicial/Mundo/Interior.aspx?content_id=1855373 Manifestação proibida no centro de Madrid] 18 May 2011 (consultado el mismo día). And [[The New York Times]]cited El Paísand noted the strong organization of the protesters, particularly the 200 people who had been placed in charge of security and the use of Twitter to ensure dissemination of their message.The New York Times(en inglés); [http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/18/protesters-rally-in-madrid-despite-ban/?smid=tw-thelede&seid=auto Protesters Rally in Madrid Despite Ban] 18 May 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011. The Washington Postagain reported on the protests in Puerta del Sol, giving them the name of a "revolution" and estimating the presence of 10,000 people on Wednesday afternoons protest and comparing it with those in Cairo s Tahrir Square which had recently ousted Egypt an president Hosni Mubarak lt;/ref> The BBC made reference to the peaceful nature of the protests in Puerta del Sol. In the evening, the President of the Regional Electoral Committee of Madrid issued a statement declaring the protests illegal because "calls for a responsible vote can change the results of the elections".Elpais.es; [http://www.elpais.com/elpaismedia/ultimahora/media/201105/18/espana/20110518elpepunac_2_Pes_PDF.pdf Acuerdo de la Junta Electoral Provincial de Madrid]lt;/ref> Police units stationed at Plaza del Sol, however, received orders from the Government Delegation not to take out any further action.lt;/ref> File Protestas Puerta del Sol - Madrid - mayo 2011 - 01.jpg File Manifestations des indignés à Bastille 03.jpg May 20 According to Britains [[The Guardian]] "tens of thousands" had camped out in Madrid and throughout the country on the night of 19–20 May.lt;/ref> United Left (Spain) appealed the Electoral Boards decision to ban the protests before Spains Supreme Court,http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/Supremo/estudia/recurso/IU/prohibicion/concentraciones/elpepu/20110520elpepunac_13/Tes IU ha presentado ante el Tribunal Supremo un recurso contra la decisión de la Junta Electoral Central], 20 May 2011 (consultado el mismo día). to which the State Prosecution presented its arguments shortly after.El País; [http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2011/05/20/actualidad/1305898023_980425.html El Supremo delibera sobre el recurso de IU, al que se opone la Fiscalía] 20 May 2011 (consultado el mismo día). ===== Appeal before the Supreme Court ===== Spains public broadcaster, [[RTVE]] reported that the State Prosecutor upheld the decision taken by the Central Electoral Board[http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20110520/fiscalia-respalda-decision-jec-prohibir-movilizaciones-sabado-domingo/433768.shtml RTVE.es "La Fiscalía respalda la decisión de la JEC de prohibir las movilizaciones el sábado y el domingo"]. Retrieved 20 May 2011 to ban the rallies.[http://www.elpais.com/elpaismedia/ultimahora/media/201105/20/espana/20110520elpepunac_2_Pes_PDF.pdf Documento oficial de la desestimación del recurso presentado por Izquierda Unida], 20 May 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011 Meanwhile, the police announced that they had been given instructions not to dissolve the crowd at Puerta del Sol provided that there was no disturbance of the peace.Europa Press; [http://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-15m-policia-no-desalojara-puerta-sol-mientras-no-haya-incidentes-20110520203416.html La Policía no desalojará la Puerta del Sol mientras no haya incidentes] 20 May 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011 Appeal before the Tribunal Constitucional [[RTVE]] later reported that the country's Constitutional Court had been deliberating since 7.30 pm whether to review an appeal against the decision of the Central Electoral Board.[http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20110518/minuto-minuto-manifestacion-acampada-movimiento-15/433335.shtml "Sala Segunda del Constitucional estudia desde las 19.30 hora peninsular si admite a trámite el recurso de amparo interpuesto por un abogado de Murcia contra la decisión de la JEC."]. Retrieved 20 May 2011 At 10.08 pm (local time), RTVE informed that the Constitutional had rejected the appeal on the formality that the appellant had not appealed first to the Supreme Court.[http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20110518/minuto-minuto-manifestacion-acampada-movimiento-15/433335.shtml 22.08 "El Tribunal Constitucional rechaza admitir el recurso del abogado de Murcia porque no ha agotado todas las vías.]. Retrieved 20 May 2011 At 22:47 [[United Left (Spain)|United Left]] announced it would appeal the Supreme Court's decision before the Tribunal Constitucional. They had until midnight.[http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20110518/minuto-minuto-manifestacion-acampada-movimiento-15/433335.shtml RTVE: 22.47 Izquierda Unida presentará antes de la medianoche un recurso de amparo ante el Tribunal Constitucional]. Retrieved 20 May 2011 At around 23:00, some 16,000 people (according to the police) and 19,000 (according to other sources) were gathered at and around Puerta del Sol.{{cite web|authorRTVE.es - MADRID |urlhttp://www.rtve.es/noticias/20110518/minuto-minuto-manifestacion-acampada-movimiento-15/433335.shtml |title inuto a minuto: Los acampados debaten hoy el futuro del movimiento 15M tras las elecciones |publisherRTVE.es |date18 May 2011 |accessdate22 May 2011| archiveurl http://web.archive.org/web/20110612085358/http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20110518/minuto-minuto-manifestacion-acampada-movimiento-15/433335.shtml| archivedate 12 June 2011 | deadurl no}} May 21 In Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and other cities 21 May started with a "mute scream" followed by cheers and applause.lt;/ref> Smaller cities, such as Granada, decided to start before midnight to avoid disturbing the neighbors. These protests occurred even though protests on the day before elections are banned.lt;/ref> Around 28,000 people, according to the police, crowded Puerta del Sol and the neighboring streets despite the prohibition. Other cities also gathered large numbers of people: 15,000 in Malaga, 10,000 in Valencia, 6,000 in Zaragoza, 4,000 in Seville, 1,500 in Granada, 800 in Almeria, 600 in Cadiz, 200 in Huelva, around 100 in Jaen. 8,000 people gathered in Barcelona, 1,000 in Vigo, 3,000 in Bilbao, 2,000 in Oviedo, 2,000 in Gijón, around 800 in Avilés, 3,000 in Palma. There were demonstrations in other European cities with 300 protesters participating in London, 500 in Amsterdam,http://radecon.blogspot.com/2011/05/spanish-workers-put-class-back-on.html]. 600