Long before
the Occupy movement besieged Wall Street a year ago, the 'Indignados‘ set up
their tents in the center of Madrid. The tents have gone and the Spanish
people’s protest movement has become less visible.
To many
foreign observers, the Spanish 15-M movement which first shook Spain and the
world on May 15, 2011, has failed. In fact, most Spanish people have lost faith
in it.
"They
refused to join existing political groups - that's what tore them apart,"
said Leon Arsenal, author and the commissioner of cultural affairs with the
Spanish party Unión Progreso y Democracía (UPyD). Arsenal admitted, however,
that the May 15 protests were what triggered the worldwide ‘Occupy' movement.
"It was the first time that Spain was a pioneer in anything."
Work behind
the scenes
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| Indignados protesting against rating agencies |
Arsenal‘s
party shares the goals of the Indignados ("the indignant ones").
That's the name the various protest groups joined in the 15-M movement gave
themselves. Both UPyD and the ‘Indignados' want more participation of citizens
in the political decision-making process. They fight for simpler state
structures and for more transparency. But while Arsenal's center-right party
has grown over the past few months, the 15-M movement seems to be fading from
the public eye.
That said,
behind the scenes its members are still active. The massive tent camps full of
protesters singing on Madrid's Plaza del Sol may be gone, but thousands of
volunteers are continuing their protest. It's just less visible and tends to
take place in the poorer neighborhoods of big cities.
"15-M
has become a movement of voluntary social workers," said their spokeswoman
and coordinator Ruth Martinez. The 33-year-old journalist has a master's degree
in languages and medieval literature, and despite her qualifications she among
the 24 percent of Spanish people who are currently unemployed.
Family as a
safety net
The average
income for people in Spain between the ages of 20 and 45 is between 1000 and
1500 euros ($1300 to $2000). Until now, families have served as a safety net
for many young people who often live with their parents until they get married.
But with private debts on the rise, even families are now slowly reaching their
limits. "That's where we help out," said Ruth Martínez.
Thousands
of lawyers, teachers and doctors who sympathize with the 15-M movement offer
their services for free. Many of them have lost their jobs themselves. Others
fill out tax declarations for people in need and help out when people are
evicted from their houses.
In
neighborhoods like Madrid's Lavapies, where many immigrants live, the work of
the 15-M movement is particularly important. There, 15-M members protest in
banks, in public offices, and they assist people in need.
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| Talk the talk, and walk the walk - 15-M has become a network of social workers |
Occupied
houses and public assemblies
15-M
regularly organize public assemblies. "We do whatever the government and
the media fail to do. Of course we occupy an increasing number of empty houses
because we think it's unfair that families are evicted from their homes simply
because the banks have talked them into accepting exaggerated mortgages,"
said Martínez.
15-M's
latest success is that a lawsuit against the insolvent bank Bankia has been
accepted. That means that some of the people in charge will at last have to
explain themselves in court.
"We
don't storm buildings to the same extent anymore because the police in Spain
intervene massively. And when you organize protest gatherings with more than
ten participants you now risk fines. But that doesn't mean that we've vanished
from the scene worldwide." 15-M and all its sub-forums will be taking part
in the Global Noise event, organized by the Occupy movement worldwide on
October 15, 2012.
Nevertheless,
15-M is still a big success, said Ignasí Carreras Fisas, director of the social
innovation department at the Barcelona-based business school Esade. Even if it
hasn't developed enough political clout to actually pave the way for real
change. "Traditionally, protest groups are in a difficult position in Spain.
Some regions have a strong desire for independence, which makes it hard for
these groups to act on a national level. But 15-M and the Indignados have
managed to overcome that to some extent."
