Protests In Sol

On Thursday night and yesterday, I went to have a look, and join in, the huge protest in Puerta del Sol, dead in the centre of Madrid outside the town hall. It started last Sunday after a march protesting against youth unemployment (45%) and the financial crisis in general, ended in the impromptu occupation of Sol, one of Madrid's main landmarks. It was then reported that the police had evicted the campers in the early hours of Tuesday morning, but by the time I went down on Thursday evening, the square was overflowing with people, chanting, pumping fists in the air, climbing scaffolding and unfurling banners over the giant advertising hoarding on the north side.

After dark, the atmosphere was incredible - all smiles and people chatting. No violence or aggression and a barely visible police presence since the protest had been allowed to go ahead after Tuesday. Cheers went up every time a new banner, with some pro-democracy slogan was thrown out over the massive shampoo advert. The aims of the protest are very vague, but 'organisers' insist that it is independent of any political party or union movement (according to English news), and it seems to be a general outpouring of anger over the crisis and the political response to it, in particular the austerity measures proposed by both main political parties. Many are frustrated with the lack of choice offered by the two main parties under the current voting system, and one of the most numerous posters I saw featured pictures of Zapatero and Rajoy, the opposition leader, with an equals sign between them.

Over the last couple of weeks, the electioneering of the two parties has heated up, with posters for the candidates for mayor and president of the commuity (which controls a large proportion of welfare spending) everywhere you look. The election is tomorrow, and the electoral commission has ruled that the protest cannot continue on election day as all campaigning is banned

Although Thursday night seemed chaotic and revelous, when I went back yesterday afternoon, the (considerably less crowded) camp, under huge blue tarpaulins stretched between lamposts, was engaged in big public meetings, workshops, committees and building and banner making parties. There was also a couple of shops, a kitchen and portaloos, apparently donated by a sympathetic building company. The camp is also completely covered in posters and signs with demands and slogans written on, as is the Gaudi-style entrance to Sol metro station (that someone has been round renaming 'Plaza del SOLucion').

Most of the meetings seemed to be using some form of collective desicion making, with people doing the 'jazz hands' for "I agree", familiar to anyone who's used it before. The lack of police presence, given it's one of Madrid's main landmarks, was incredible. They seem to have been given orders to stand well off, presumably for politicians fear of a backlash in the election if they are seen to crack down too hard. The atmosphere reminded me a lot of Climate Camp in the UK, but with the strange sight of bemused tourists walking through the middle of it all.

The camps demands, although still pointedly non-specific or party orientated, seem to have crystallised a little through the public meetings, with greater democratization and representation being one of the key demands on the central poster pasted onto the metro entrance. Funny that that's exactly what we in Britain just voted against in the referendum on AV. The protests have now spread to other cities around Spain and it's being dubbed (unironically) 'the Spanish revolution' by the protesters. It certainly looks like the camp is there to stay, but there may be a confrontation in the offing with the police later today or tonight as they have been ordered to clear it before polling day tomorrow.

Sorry if this seems to be written a little breathlessly, I'm typing it quickly so I can go back up and see what's happening now! Expect an update later. You can see other news stories on it here and here.