Spain: Mass Protests Converge In Madrid Calling For Political Change

By Hanadi Watfa

Mass protests of “furious” Spaniards who set off from various parts of the country, traveling thousands of miles on foot, will come together Saturday to voice denunciation of dominant economic, social, and political policies.

Such peaceful protests, which were called “the popular march”, set out from different eight points covering all Spanish landscape one month ago during which “the furious,” stopped at each village, town, and city with the aim of listening to the citizens’ demands, knowing their requirements, and politically mobilizing them, besides welcoming those who are willing to join the march toward the capital.

The marches arrived at the outskirts of the capital last night, and will continue their progress till they all come together at the downtown Madrid plaza Puerta del Sol, which are the stronghold of the first protests, and the focus of sit-ins staged by the 15th of May movement since its early beginnings over the past two months.

It is scheduled for the “furious” to hold a popular session at the plaza this evening to voice their proposals, and demands, then scrutinize them before being forwarded to the authorities in an event which will last till midnight, then comes some minutes of silence which the protesters described as a “silent scream,” in order to denounce economic and political conditions in the country, and call for engineering reforms within the current systems in what is positively reflected on the citizens.

Spokesperson of the 15th May Movement said, in press releases, that the movement calls for a nationwide strike or holding a referendum on October 15 in order to call for changing the political regime, and taking decisions that will improve living conditions, and provide job opportunities for youth alongside revising the real estate mortgage law, and a call for staging worldwide demonstration next autumn.

The movement won the support of Spanish people from various spectrum as well as the sympath of some prominent political and sports figures as the Minister of Defense Carme Chacon said that it the 15th May Movement calls for “so plausible,” demands which should be included within the political dialogue, while Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero noted that the protesters’ demands should be respected.