Spain (and beyond): 15 May demonstrations updates and discussion

The point is that workers movement here in Spain is totally defensive. With 5 million unemployed people is very scared of losing their jobs and, as a result, labour struggle is minimal and easily betrayed by big trade unions (UGT and CCOO), and also by scab workers. In the collective mood, victory is seen as impossible against corporate, global capitalism.

However, the struggle is being delayed by government unemployed payments, who try to "buy" workers. Money is the most effective tool to desactivate workplace struggle.

Interesting analysis, with lots of serious criticisms, by Peter Gelderloos who is in Barcelona

http://anarchistnews.org/?q=node/14748

a report from crimethinc on everything going down in spain.

Very nice report.
Appart from the critics what we need to know is that we have to be where the action is happening. By distancing from this social-democratic movement we could have lost our greatest opportunity of our times. The movement is now evolving towards neighbourhoods, workplaces and smaller places. We'll probably go out from newspaper headlines and TV show, but there's more chance to engage in direct action and to be confrontative.

That's what I think. In the neighbourhood Assemblies decisions are taken to cut roads, to expropiate supermarkets, to do simbolic actions against banks, to prepare for a General Strike, to help avoid evictions ... All of these things will inevitabily bring repression, which might make people rethink about non-violence. Crisis is still there. And people need to start moving their asses.

Another probable thing is that people who is now demanding "more democracy" to the Parliament, will burn out in the next few months as spanish politicians do what the know: to look to another place and ignore the demands. The political class in Spain is so stupid and corrupt they cannot accept anything from this movement. This possible rejection may radicalise some grassroots pro-democratic activists, while taking other to leftist political parties. Situation will clarify a lot after summer.

Toms

AmeliefromMontmartre

i found as well this one, but it is probably not in English (or does anybody have its translation)?

Source: http://qsevayan.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/texto01/

Ok, I've finished this one and I'll get around to the first one when I can. It's two pages long, library or do I just post it?

great, thank you! Please post it to the library, then put a link to it here, feel free to do so likewise with anything in future

Sal, thanks so much for all these reports! Please let us know how things develop with the neighbourhood assemblies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ivhQ7mPqzI&feature=youtu.be

Its seem that situation in Hungary is the opposite as in Spain. The activists scene tried to immate the events what have taken place in Spain.As you can see its on the video, its not too succesful yet. And while longer the tradeunions planing to hold a nationwide prostest on 16. And while i am writing this words the policemen's unions demonstrate in front of the parliment,and other sectors of the workers also joined to them.(for example firefighters).The trainstation workers also preparing for protests and probably for strike too.The situation is the opposite as in Spain: tradeunions are far more radical than the young students.

policemen's unions demonstrate in front of the parliment

means

tradeunions are far more radical than the young students

????????????????

When cops go on strike here in France everyone I know wishes they'd do it permanently. Now that would be "radical".

Samotnaf

When cops go on strike here in France everyone I know wishes they'd do it permanently. Now that would be "radical".

Well,they are radical if we compare to the last 20 years'activity.

I meant not those students who were on video,but the hungarian young people in general.

http://qsevayan.wordpress.com/

Translation here

http://www.alasbarricadas.org/noticias/?q=node/17788

(original wordpress source down)

Translation here

Following the events in Barna (several politicos were insulted and hit with egs in the opening of the parliament that is near a park - La Ciutadella - that were surrounded by the protestors to prevent the MPs to enter the building, they have to be carried in by a helicopter) as the movement is radicalizing, speaker wannabes are starting to try to keep it pacifist: the so-called progressive press is remarking how those speakers maintained that the most of the protestors were pacifist:

http://www.publico.es/espana/382143/el-movimiento-15-m-se-desvincula-de-los-actos-violentos-de-barcelona

Some salami tactics in action here. After the summer and next year i don't think they'll be succesful. We'll see what happens in the 19th june demo (this sunday)

Meanwhile in Madrid they're starting to prevent evictions succesfully and a stalinist politico was insulted:

http://blog.acampadazgz.org/

Wating for Sal's updates from Barna (hope he's ok)

Ps. Several politicians are calling for harder police response.

Valeriano Orobón Fernández

Ps. Several politicians are calling for harder police response.

And me thinking it couldn't get worst than this.

Toms

Valeriano Orobón Fernández

Ps. Several politicians are calling for harder police response.

And me thinking it couldn't get worst than this.

That's spain, mate: strong with the weak, weak with the strong.

However, apparently it's quiet obvious that INDEED there were infiltrated cops that started the riot: (watch the video inside)

http://www.publico.es/espana/382254/los-manifestantes-de-barcelona-denuncian-que-infiltrados-de-la-policia-comenzaron-los-incidentes

Can any posters in Spain add any information to this interesting development?:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/16/spain-indignant-protesters-home-repossessions

Spain's 'indignant' protesters rise up against home repossessions
Spain's peaceful "indignant" protest movement, which saw its image tarnished by outbursts of violence in Barcelona this week, has turned its attention to stopping banks from repossessing people's homes.
On Thursday morning a crowd gathered outside the home of 74-year-old Luis Domínguez, in the Madrid dormitory town of Parla, and prevented court officials from serving him with the order to leave his home immediately.
Domínguez, who walks with crutches and is being treated for a heart condition, said he would have been left on the street if protesters had not come to his aid.
"I only heard about them helping people to fight off the banks last night, and this was all organised in a few hours," he said in his apartment, shortly after protesters had seen off the court officials. "It is amazing that I am still here."
An appeal put out on Twitter overnight for a flash protest at his front door gathered enough people to prevent officials entering Domínguez's home.
On Wednesday a crowd of several hundred had also stopped police and court officials repossessing the home of a Lebanese immigrant family in the Madrid neighbourhood of Tetuan.

That's the best that has come out of the movement in their shift to the barrios yet. Another eviction in Palma de Mallorca was prevented yesterday and resistance to evictions it's developing in every city.

Nothing on the above, but on the ICC's english website are two pieces, one called "Repression in Valencia, solidarity with the outraged!" which shows spontaneous demonstrations arising out of police brutality and arrests, supported at local level and succeeding in some part in getting the arrested freed.

And secondly, "'Real Democracy Now!' A dictatorship Against Mass Assemblies" on the pernicious role of this "movement" with some good info/analysis from local anarchists.

I won't make a link but they are there for anyone who wants to read them.

That sounds really interesting, and a great development around home repossessions. Any more detail/articles anywhere?

More updates from Barcelona. As far as I've seen 15th June Action outside the parliament I did't see much violence this time as in other events I've been to. There is an ongoing witch-hunt against the indignants movement coming from the mass media and the political class. This time we've been effective and visible in a concrete struggle. We pointed at the political class, who were going to vote new social cuts... and the had to come into the parliament on foot or, some privileged, by helicopter. This action has been very symbolic.

However, this movement, didn't expect the consequences it arouse. The media start complaining against proffesional rioters, anti-systemic elements, hooligans, and politicians stated that that they it was to spanish democracy like a coup d'etat (last one in Spain was in 1981). Some politicians said protestors were nazis, totalitarian, francoists trying to avoid a "democratic voting".

This brought to the movement into a new controversy about violence. Some are dogmatic pacifists, other are tactically non-violent, and the rest are mainly pacifist but also sympathetic to self-defense. For three days discussions and debates have talked about this topic.

We need to be cold-minded before getting into a debate with those new-comers. Most are middle class rebels getting political, and are open to anything except "violence". Anyway we still have new mobile phones every year even if they use coltan and this provokes a civil war... or we (Spanish state) support british troops bombing Lybia to let BP pay their debts to America (for last year's ecological disaster). BP also has most of the retirement bonds of Britain, isn't it? Imagine the social cost of a collapse of BP.

Valeriano Orobón Fernández

That's the best that has come out of the movement in their shift to the barrios yet. Another eviction in Palma de Mallorca was prevented yesterday and resistance to evictions it's developing in every city.

There's been another ones these days:

Parla (Madrid)
http://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20110616/54171440523/una-protesta-paraliza-en-parla-el-desahucio-de-un-anciano-invalido.html

Tetuan (Madrid)
http://www.abc.es/20110616/espana/abcp-lider-acosado-insultado-unirse-20110616.html

Valencia
http://www.lavanguardia.com/local/valencia/20110617/54173405040/indignados-y-la-plataforma-se-concentran-para-protestar-contra-el-desahucio-de-una-mujer-en-valencia.html

Sant Andreu (Barcelona)
http://www.abc.es/agencias/noticia.asp?noticia=849375

This "home repossesions movement" came from a part of the old "V de Vivienda" movement. A movement about homes, speculation and gentrification. It was quite critic against banks and government measures and laws but was not really anti-capitalist. It called some interesting demos in many cities in Spain and up to a point is a precedent to "Democracia Real Ya" and this 15M movement.

It was born in Barcelona and its big surrounding towns, but there were only one or two assemblies.
http://afectadosporlahipoteca.wordpress.com/

With the crisis this model was cloned in Murcia, one of the places most affected by crisis in Spain.
http://afectadoshipotecaregionmurcia.blogspot.com/

In Murcia the movement catch strength and a direct action practise, as people were more fucked up than in any other place. Probably this mood was contagious and it helped to radicalise its Catalonia's sister organisation.

With the 15M movement, some of the basic speeches listened and overwhelmingly supported were from activists of this movement. So, immediately they began to recrute new activists and some popular assemblies also formed it's own home repossesions groups.

In two weeks the movement grew from the basic two or three groups in Barcelona and Murcia to this:
http://afectadosporlahipoteca.wordpress.com/pahs-locales/encuentra-la-pah-mas-cerca-de-tu-localidad/

Baboon Wrote:

.... On the ICC's english website are two pieces, one called "Repression in Valencia, solidarity with the outraged!" which shows spontaneous demonstrations arising out of police brutality and arrests, supported at local level and succeeding in some part in getting the arrested freed.
And secondly, "'Real Democracy Now!' A dictatorship Against Mass Assemblies" on the pernicious role of this "movement" with some good info/analysis from local anarchists.
I won't make a link but they are there for anyone who wants to read them.

In fact, there are three articles on this website, the first one of which was posted in English on Libcom some three weeks ago, and then banned, censored, “unpublished”.

In response to Baboon, Steven wrote:

That sounds really interesting”.

Yeah right. So why ban this information written by left communists on the ground, quoting large chunks of local anarchist stuff.?

Enough of this nonsense: the ruling class is imposing its own blackout on Spain. Below, is the introduction to the three articles, followed by a denunciation of Real Democracy.

A subsequent post will deal with the repression and its aftermath. Publish and be damned.

Introduction

The social movement that has swept Spain since mid-May is of historical significance. The poor and the working class, especially its youth, are now reacting to the massive onslaught brought on by the economic crisis. But even more than the immense anger being manifested, it's the organisation of the struggle in general assemblies and the reflection that drives the debates that demonstrate a real advance for the struggles of our class. That is why the bourgeoisie, with an iron fist, have ochestrated an incredible media blackout on an international scale. Information about what is really happening on the streets of Madrid, Barcelona, Terrassa isn't filtering out. This collection of articles therefore intends to contribute to breaking this silence. We will try to update it as often as possible with translations of articles, videos and eye-witness reports.

Real Democracy Now!’: A dictatorship against the mass assemblies

Over recent weeks the squares of the main Spanish cities have seen thousands of people coming together in assemblies where anyone who wants to can speak and can talk with confidence about the lack of a future we are faced with and what we can do about it. And they will be listened to with respect. There is discussion everywhere, in little groups, in bars, between the different generations, the young and the retired; and this has created a collective sense of excitement, of unity, creativity, reflection and discussion around the need to come together in order to understand what we can do about the “no future” capitalism offers us.
Now though there are less and less people taking part in the meetings, which already cannot really be called assemblies as real discussions are not allowed. Various commissions “filter” the agenda and in practice there is hardly any discussion of the social struggle. All these meetings do now is to vote or come to a “consensus” about democratic demands as if they were the expression of the movement, when the majority do not know about them or are openly opposed to them. Under the excuse of “apoliticism” they carry out the same “shit politics” as the PSOE or PP[1].

What is going on? Are those who say that from the beginning this was a just citizens’ movement for democratic reform, a set up, being proved right? Or is there an attack going on against the assemblies, a sabotage in order to put an end to this massive coming together, this discussion and reflection, because the state is scared and under pressure?
Mass assemblies: not “for democracy” but “despite democracy”

Two days after the brutal repression of the demonstrations of 15th May (the movement of the “indignant” which in Spain is known at the “15-M movement”) the setting up of a camp in the Puerta del Sol served as example for other cities. Ever-increasing numbers of people took part in a completely spontaneous movement of assemblies and discussions. There is a cynical lie being put about that the ¡Democracia Real Ya! Movement began this movement. These same “exemplary citizens” were very concerned to make it clear at that point that the movement to set up camps was nothing to do with them. Or as is said in a text by some anarchists from Madrid: “they distanced themselves in the most disgusting way possible from the events that happened after the demonstration and fingered those who were involved in them”.

On the one hand: the worsening of the attacks on our living conditions, unemployment, evictions, cuts in social spending. On the other hand, the example of Tahrir Square and North Africa, the pensions struggle in France, the students in Great Britain, Greece, the discussions in the workplaces or among revolutionary minorities, the comments on Facebook or Twitter, and of course all the expressions of being fed up with corruption and parliamentary antics... All this and more, has brought about the explosion of discontent and indignation, the unleashing of a torrent of vitality and struggle, ripping open the passivity and the voting of democratic normality.

Thousands and at times tens of thousands of people have come together in the central squares of the most important cities in Spain, turning them into real “agoras”. They have come after work, camped, with their families, searching... and they have talked and talked. Speech has been “freed”[2] in the assemblies. Even the most anti-state have recognized that this movement is not within the channels of the democratic state, as the above anarchist text says: “It is as if, suddenly, passivity and everyman for himself has broken down around the Puerto Del Sol... In the first days there were small groups talking about things, people gathered around to listen, to say something. It was normal to see people arguing in small groups. The work groups and general assemblies were massive events bringing together 500, 600 and 2000 people (sitting, standing, coming together to listen to something) etc. And apart from this, this permanent sense of a good atmosphere, of ‘this is something special’. All this reached its peak on the Friday/Saturday night when a day of reflection began. 20,000 were heard shouting ‘We are illegal’ like children enjoying breaking the law, this was invigorating and impressive”.

The movement has certainly not posed the question of an open confrontation with the democratic state. In fact, each attempt to arrive at concrete demands has deviated towards “democratic reform”, towards introducing the slogans of “Real Democracy Now!” And this is normal, given the working class's lack of confidence in its ability to launch itself into struggle, its lack of clarity about the perspective, and above all given the need for the working class to recover its class identity as the revolutionary subject, and thus its ability to become the head of a revolutionary offensive. However, discussion, reflection and the attempt to take the struggle in hand are precisely the way to gain confidence, sharpen clarity and recover class identity. This has been seen, particularly in Barcelona, in the efforts by striking workers to unite with the assemblies, and the calling of united demonstrations around workers’ demands in Tarrasa[3]. The real confrontation with the democratic state has been taking place in the self-organized and mass assemblies that have spread throughout the country and beyond.

And this is just what the state cannot tolerate.

The response of the state: re-establish the democratic channels

After the first attempt to put a brake on events at the end of the election week on the 22nd May [4] - legally banning the gathering, which was flouted by the massive demonstrations in the squares at the hour when the law came into force, i.e. the early hours of Saturday the 21st May - the strategy has been to combine the natural weakening of the movement due to tiredness and the difficulty to put forward a perspective for the struggle with sabotage of the movement from the inside.

When the movement began to weaken, a week after the municipal elections, the state unleashed a strategy of media recuperation in Madrid and Barcelona.
In Madrid the complaints of small businessmen and shopkeepers around the Puerta Del Sol were given free reign in order to make the campers feel guilty for the crisis. Support was given for a strategy of dismantling the massive camp and just leaving an “information point”.
In Barcelona, the calculated intervention by Catalan police[5], while initially leading to an increase in the numbers taking part in the gatherings[6], eventually led to the complete derailing of the discussions toward the democratic demand for the resignation of the Catalan interior minister, Felip Puig, joining in with the opposition against the new government of the right and the nationalists.
None of this would have had the same impact if it had not been for the work from the inside by Real Democracy Now!

Sabotage from within: the dictatorship of ¡Democracia Real Ya!

In the first few days, faced with the avalanche of assemblies, ¡Democracia Real Ya! (DRY) had no option but to keep a low profile, but this did not mean that it did not try to gain positions in the key commissions of the camps and to spread its positions about citizens reforming the system, such as its famous “Ten Commandments” and similar things; of course, without openly showing its face and defending apoliticism in order to prevent those with other political opinions spreading their ideas, while DRY were left free to spread theirs (unsigned).

The anarchists in Madrid already detected this ambiance at the beginning of the movement: “In many commissions and groups we are seeing everything from the accidental loss of minutes, personal ambitions, people who cling to being spokesmen like glue, delegates who remain quiet at general assemblies, commissions that ignore agreements, small groups who want to maintain the refreshment stand etc. For sure many of these are the result of inexperience and inflated egos, others however appear to be directly taken from the old manuals on how to manipulate assemblies”.

We had to wait until the first symptoms of the reflux of the movement before seeing the real offensive of the “citizens' movement” against the assemblies.
At the Puerta Del Sol they (DRY) accepted the complaints of the shopkeepers and hastened the dismantling of the camp in order to leave an “information point”. They filtered the interventions at the assemblies, which were already only discussing the proposals of the commissions, which they controlled. They openly presented their positions as the expression of the movement, rather than having them discussed in the assemblies. DRY called coordinating meetings of the neighborhood assemblies without having been elected as delegates to represent the assembly. They even held a national coordination assembly on 4th June that no one in the general assemblies knew about... And the same dynamic could be seen in all the large cities.

In Barcelona freedom of speech has been kidnapped: the assemblies simply have to pronounce on proposals formulated behind their backs. Conferences of intellectuals and professors have replaced discussion. One of the most obvious symptoms of this offensive against the assemblies has been the increasing weight of nationalism. In the week after the 15th May thousands of people packed into the Plaza de Cataluňa and discussed in different languages, translating into various languages the communiqués issued and received. There was not a single Catalan flag. Recently however, it has been voted that Catalan is the only language used.

In Valencia it has been more of the same but on a wider scale. The text Control of the Assemblies in Valencia, which has circulated anonymously, makes this clear “Since the 27th the internal dynamic of the camp and the daily assemblies has changed radically... and in them it is already almost not possible to talk about politics and social problems... It can be summed up as follows: the commission of ‘citizen participation’ and another called the ‘judicial’ commission, in total 15-20 people, have taken absolute control of the moderation of the assemblies; they are ‘professional moderators’ who impose themselves though cliques and commissions... All the placards with any political, economic or simply social content have been removed from the square. Now it is a kind of alternative fair... There is no freedom of speech in the square or assembly. In the commissions they have been able to install the dictatorship of the system of ‘minimum consensus’ with the result that you can never arrive at any substantial agreement. They have presented a document, which they claim has already been adopted, called ‘Citizen, Participate!’ which contains many beautiful things but establishes that only the commissions have the right to present proposals to the assemblies. In this text, it is established that it will be obligatory for the commissions to function by minimum consensus... this is total control in order to empty out the content of the movement.” And things have not stopped there: today a demonstration against attacks on pensions was converted into a protest against article 87.3 of the Constitution: whilst the retired shouted “for a minimum pension of €800” and “for retirement at 60”, the citizen movement shouted “prisoners since 78” [7] in order to demand a more representative Constitution.

However it has been in Seville where the DRY has exposed itself most clearly. It shamelessly asked for a blank cheque from the assemblies, to do with what it wants according to its whim. It has even dared to call upon the participants to hold their assemblies under its initials.

What is at stake?

It is increasingly clear that the strategy of DRY, in the service of the democratic state, consists of putting forward the idea of a citizens’ movement for democratic reform, in order to try and avoid the emergence of a social struggle against the democratic state, against capitalism. The facts have shown however that, when the enormous accumulated social discontent finds even a small area to express itself, it pushed to one side the moaners about the “perfect” democracy. Neither DRY nor the democratic state can stop the development of social discontent and militancy, but they can put all kinds of obstacles in its way. The drive against the assemblies is one of them. For a “large minority” (if we can be allowed to use paradoxical terminology) these assemblies are a reference point of how to look for solidarity and confidence, of how to discuss, in order to take charge of the struggles against the terrible attacks on our living conditions. Continuing discussing, like in the assemblies, even if these meetings are only small, is the way to prepare the struggles. Organising mass and open assemblies each time there is a struggle is the example to follow. DRY's sabotage and the imposition of a citizen’s movement could make a part of this “growing minority” become disillusioned and think that “it was all a dream”. They cannot erase history like Big Brother, but they can confuse our memory.

Therefore the alternative is to defend the assemblies where they still have some vitality; to struggle against and denounce the sabotage of DRY; and to call for the continuation of the struggle where possible, to fight for taking control of the discussion and struggle. To do this, the most determined minorities in the assemblies during struggles need to get together.
The struggle against capitalism is possible! The future belongs to the working class!
International Communist Current, 03.06.2011

[1] “PSOE and PP: the same shit” is one of the slogans against “bipartisanship” which has become emblematic of this movement
[2] “Free the word” has been one of the slogans of the recent assemblies in the movement against the cuts in pensions in France.
[3] An industrial suburb of Barcelona.
[4] On Sunday 22nd May there were elections in Spain. The law stated that the Saturday was to be “a day of reflection” and that all meetings were banned
[5] The Spanish bourgeoisie is not that stupid in its confrontation with the working class and less so in Catalonia. It is hard to believe that, only a few days after the repression against the demonstrations on the 15th May which sparked the protests, they could put their foot in it so badly. Furthermore, proving that there is always an exception to the rule, there was the pathetic declaration on the main Spanish TV channel by the spokesman for the opposition Socialist Party in Catalonia who spoke with contempt about those involved in the camp and said that the party agreed with the breaking up of the camp although not with the way it was done, demonstrating that this plan had been discussed by the government and opposition.
[6] The Catalan riot squads brutally broke up the camp (leading to some serious injuries) which stimulated solidarity from other assemblies
[7] The date the constitution drawn up after the death of Franco came into effect

Repression in Valencia: Solidarity with the outraged!

An inoffensive protest was called against the new Valencian Regional Government. It asked the politicians not to be corrupt and to listen to the citizens: it was thus caught up in the folds of the illusion that the state “expresses the will of the people”.

The response of the state was very salutatory: demonstrators were beaten, dragged about, and subjected to arrogant and brutal treatment: 18 wounded and 5 arrested. They were not treated as “citizens” but as subjects.

News of this provoked strong indignation. A demonstration was called for 20.15 at the Colon metro (in the center of Valencia), in front of a regional government office. The demonstration grew little by little; a second march came from the Plaza de Virgen -where there had been a gathering held using the Valencian language – which joined up with the demonstration, to great applause. It was spontaneously decided to go the central police station where it was assumed the arrested were being held. The demonstration grow by the minute: people from the Ruzafa neighborhood joined the march or applauded from their balconies. “Free the arrested” “Don't look at us, they also rob you” were shouted. When they arrived at the centre of Zapadores the crowd came together in a large seated gathering, shouting “we are not leaving without them”; “if they are not sent out we will come in”... News of solidarity from the Barcelona assembly[1] arrived and also that the Madrid camp had held another solidarity demonstration in front of Parliament[2]. In Barcelona the shout went up “No more violence in Santiago and Valencia” (in Santiago there had been a police charge).

An hour later, after receiving news that the arrested -they had been transferred to the Central Courts- would be set free, the demonstration broke up, and several hundred went to the Central Courts to await their release, which happened after midnight.

We can draw some lessons from these events.

Firstly the strength of solidarity. The arrested were not abandoned. It was not left to the “good will of justice”: we took this in hand ourselves, because they were our own. Throughout history solidarity has been a vital strength of the exploited classes, and with the historic struggle of the proletariat it has become central to its struggle and a pillar of a future society, the world human community, communism[3]. Solidarity is destroyed by capitalist society which is based on its opposite: competition, each against all, every man for himself.

Along with solidarity there has been a growing indignation against the democratic state. Police charges in Madrid and Granada along with the inhuman treatment inflicted on the arrested in Madrid sparked off the 15th May movement. The cynical and brutal police attack in Barcelona showed the true face of the democratic state, which is usually hidden by the theatrical scenery of “free elections” and “citizen participation”. The repression in Valencia and Santiago on Friday, and today, Saturday, in Salamanca, shows this yet again.

It is necessary to reflect upon this and discuss it. Are the events in Madrid, Granada, Barcelona, Valencia, Salamanca and Santiago “exceptions” due to excesses or errors? Will the reform of electoral law, the LIP (Popular Legislature Initiatives) and other propositions for “democratic consensus” put an end to these outrages and place the state in the service of the people?

In order to answer these questions we have to understand what role the state carries out. In every country the state is the tool of the privileged and exploiting minority, the tool of capital. This applies as much to Spain, even though it uses democratic deodorant, as it does to the foulest smelling dictatorship.

The state is not held together by “citizen participation”, but by the army, the police, the courts, the prisons, political parties, unions and bosses etc; that is to say, an immense bureaucratic network in the service of capital which oppresses and feasts on the blood of the majority and is periodically legitimised by the electoral puppet show, popular consultation, referendums etc.

This “hidden face” of the state is covered over by the multicolored lights of democracy. This is clearly seen in the laws such as the pension reforms, labour reforms, and the new measures recently adopted by the government, the ERE (Expedient Regulation of Employment), which removes regulations around laid-off workers and also reduces redundancy payments to 20 days pay for each year worked, rather than the previous 45 days. Or as when the police share out their batons “in order to avoid problems” as Rubalcaba[4] euphemistically put it. Repression is not the heritage of this or that party or this or that ideology. It is the necessary and conscious response of the state each time the interests of the capitalist class are threatened, or whenever these interests need to be strengthened and propped up.

Immediatism, the pressure “to do something concrete”, led an important part of the assemblies -encouraged by groups such as Real Democracy Now! – to have confidence in the illusion of “democratic reform”: electoral laws, open lists, popular legislative initiatives... This looks like an easy, “concrete” road, but in reality it does nothing more than reinforce illusions about being able to improve the state and “put at the service of everyone”. This only results in bashing our heads against the armour-plated walls of the capitalist state.

In the assemblies there has been a lot of talk about “changing this society”, about putting an end to this social system and economic injustices. This has expressed the aspiration for a world where exploitation no longer exists, where “we are not commodities”, where production is in the service of life and not life in the service of production, where there is a world human society without frontiers.

But how do we achieve this? Is the Jesuit maxim “the end justifies the means” valid? Is it possible to change the system using the means of participation they deceive us with?

The means used have to be coherent with the desired end. Not every thing is valid! The atomisation and individualism of the ballot box isn't, nor is the delegation of these things into the hands of politicians, nor are the sordid machinations of daily politics – in short the usual methods of the democratic game. These “means” are radically different from the ends. The means for drawing us closer to our objective -although it is still far away – are the assemblies, direct collective action in the street, solidarity, the international struggle of the working class.

ICC 11.6.11

[1] In Barcelona hundreds of demonstrators blocked the Diagonal and motorists sounded their horns in support.

[2] On the Thursday there had been a demonstration against Labour Reform

[3] See our Orientation text on solidarity and confidence: http://en.internationalism.org/ir/111_OT_ConfSol_pt1

[4] Minister of the Interior and designated successor to Zapatero

Things are scalating and fascist methods starting being used (excuse the quick and bad translation):

Flare thrown from a motorcycle aimed at burning tents on the Plaza de Palma Spain

Two people riding on a motorcycle this morning launched a flare to burn the tents of the Plaza de Palma Spain, where they sleep the 'angry', while the rapid action of a young man has turned it off, so no have been wounded.

This has to Europa Press reported one of the 'angry', which has detailed the incident took place at 04.45 am when a motorcycle occupied by two people whose face could not be seen , because wearing a helmet, have launched flare-burning, particularly on a tent where a woman slept with her young daughter.

It so happens that the bike had no license plate, so, although it has passed through the renamed Plaza Iceland, the 'outraged' could not identify the vehicle or occupants have been gone quickly after launching the flare.

The 'outraged' have announced that they will report these incidents to the police. They also report that during this morning, has also gone through the Plaza Spain a van with several young men who have uttered to the 'angry 'death threats, while they pointed a gun to shoot flares. "We are going to kill you," threatened.

Also, at 01.00 hours, have appeared in the Plaza four young neo-Nazi aesthetic men with a bat in hand and have been looking at the 'outraged' Square, who after meeting in a large group of young people have made them leave.

These events have happened after the last Wednesday in a trash can exploded through the Plaza Spain, after someone placed a fair firecrackers attached to a flare signaling vessels, which slightly injured two women (one had a stroke anxiety and other temporarily lost hearing).

According to eyewitness accounts, saw a black dress invididuo with a white hood that left a package in a bin Plaza Spain, next to the kiosk, but no one has yet been arrested.

Just one day before it blew the trash, a group of 'angry' were putting up posters on the June 19 demonstration against the Euro Pact, wehn they met in Olmos street with four young also aesthetic neo-Nazi with a bat who threatened to burn the camp.

http://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-15m-lanzan-moto-bengala-encendida-tiendas-campana-plaza-espana-palma-20110618092909.html

Thanks for posting that. It's certainly a grim development.

...thats similar to Greece, where there has also been fascist harrassment of anarchists and assemblies.

I have no time right now to say much (i'm knackered) but todays demos have been fookin' massive all around and the mood was fantastic actually. I'll say more soon. The left and trhe right are shittin their pants for sure lol

Whilst we wait for Valeriano to rest himself, there's this brief report, and this one also, neither of which says much but...

Salvoechea

You may be interested in an article taking up the question of the "violence" in Barcelona and the way it is being used by the DRY to attack the proletarian wing of the movement, on our Spanish website.

Could you tell us about the assemblies that were developing in Barcelona before the 15M started? The meeting of various groups, assemblies, etc that took place in Alicante in Feb included a comrade or comrades from one of these assemblies I think. I it is important to remember that these assemblies did not spring out of the blue but there was a very minoritarian growth of assemblies in Alicante and elsewhere, and we should not forget the assemblies that took place in France during the movement last November

Finally, my report on the demo:
1/ Here in a town of around 700 000 there were around 20 or 25 000 protestors. That is a LOT considering publicity was almost only on the net. The right numbers for Barna would be around 200 or 250 000.
2/ Hardly a chat against “the violents” or crap like that. Actually many of the people I talked to admitted that in the future worsening conditions would lead to a harder response from protestors (them).
3/ That means that the strategy to split the movement (at least) in my town, hasn’t been successful. A different thing is “real democracy” people’s opinion but they aren’t very influential here, I think.
4/ Here “real democracy” and “ZGZ-camp” are two different organizations, the latter being closer to anarco positions.
5/ “We are not commodities” and “they don’t represent us” were the more popular chants.
6/ After the demo finished and the camp was starting to be dismantled by the campers, it was clear that there have already started assemblies in most of the hoods of the town. Besides…
7/ As the demo finished a contingent of protestors headed to particular empty building in the town and squatted it. 4 floors, around 100 m2 each, it’ll serve as a social center and temporary settling for evicted people. Today it was still occupied and no cop on sight.
My thoughts:
The bad: more dodgy people than I’d like to see (a local singer-songwriter with connections with the official local cultural milieu, university professors with well known PSOE credentials and so on) Any particular flag or banner was banned and there were people around watching it.
The good: This is evolving at high speed. It gets you a bit dizzy; while there are people trying to ban flags they can’t ban discourses and the mainstream discourse is increasingly anti-capitalist and anti-politic. That’s the reason I find simply annoying but not much more the flag banning: it’s not that damaging considering thoughts are evolving in the right direction and towards the right targets. Besides the state has got a headache trying to find ringleaders where there aren’t any. The right and the far right are really scared seeing once the current government is out, the movement will be still there and growing. The social democrats are more ambiguous: some far-right columnists think the movement is not being brutally repressed (what they'd like to see) cos the government want to leave it as a gift for the next right government. While this is not totally insignificant, I think its survival has more to do with the former reasons I gave and obviously with the fact that as time passes reforms will be tougher and the population angrier and having regained the sweet flavor of shouting their anger out in the streets.

I have to point out that this info is about my town. The acampadas have evolved quite differently in each place.

Ernie,

DRY in Barcelona does not have so much influence than in Madrid. In Barcelona the movement is run by a mixture between social movement activists (including anarchists) and newcomers (pirate party, internet geeks, bloggers, some political party members, and some DRY). Have in mind that DRY exists only for a couple of months, and it is not an ideological party. I've found even anarchists inside. Whatever. In this movement there is a "political war" over the direction. Some of us are anticapitalists, and others are more "democratic". The current political parties (IU, UPD, leftists and from now on, PSOE as well) are trying to coopt, to recuperate hte movement.

As for Barcelona.... well, in last 29th September 2010, there was a General Strike in Spain. In Barcelona, an assembly was created to participate in that strike as a force of the social movements and struggles in Barcelona. As most people (and most activists) is not member of a union, it is difficult to participate into labour struggle. But a general strike is too important to leave it in hands of CCOO and UGT.

So, that "Asamblea de Barcelona" was the first coordination of social struggles and neighbourhood assemblies we got in years and years. It was an autonomous structure, made up of neighobourhood delegates and grassroot unions (CGT) and other struggles (anti-gentrification, etc.)

After the strike it tryied to call for demos. on the 27th jan. 2011, there was a second general strike. However this time in Catalonia, it was called by small unions like CGT, COS, CNT and Solidaridad obrera. In fact the only real union was CGT, the other are more propaganda groups. As a general strike it was a failure, as cgt cannot stop production for itself. The Asamblea de Barcelona, participate as much as it could .But as the strike was a fiasco, many activists burned out.

So, when the 15th may arrived the Assemblea de Barcelona quickly jumped to participate into that movement and they easiliy managed to control it (DRY activists were not very much prepared to manage those mass assemblies).. the Assemble de Barcelona dissolved itself into the camp and assembly of plaza de Catalunya.

All these reports sound really interesting (especially the anti-eviction stuff!).. just a little question, how much discussion is there in the assemblies about stuff going on in the rest of Europe? Has there been any talk about the upcoming strikes in the UK or Greece (and if so, from who)? What do you think the likelihood is that people would/could organise something in co-ordination with events elsewhere?

Salvoechea

Thanks very much for the reply and information very interesting and useful.

Who banned the flags on the demo? and Why? was it to stop national and regional flags or those of the political parties?

The turn out on the demo is certainly very large for such a small city, and shows that there is still a real dynamic,

In Britain there is no coverage at all in the main press concerning what is going on.

Agree with Ed concerning the question of whether their is an international vision amongst those demonstrating.

ernie

Salvoechea

Thanks very much for the reply and information very interesting and useful.

Who banned the flags on the demo? and Why? was it to stop national and regional flags or those of the political parties?

National (2nd spanish republic), regional and political. Apparently it was to keep the demo "apolitical" and prevent splits. Flyers were handed tho but obviously cos is much difficult to prevent it: there were conspiranoic shite (new world order), real democracy ones and some leninist things. The influence of grupuscles i still think is very scarce here as is shown by the fact that after the occupation of the building (which in their terms is a violent act), real democrtacy hasn't dared to condemn it. I have my own issues with the use given to the Okupa but i'll wait until i know more on the subject.

Salvoechea, what do you think of this alasbarricadas article?

Apagafuegos e Incendiadores

http://www.alasbarricadas.org/noticias/?q=node/17885

English version:

http://www.crimethinc.com/texts/recentfeatures/barc.php

WARNING! It's from crimethinc, i know how simpatethic many of you are towards them ;) I think it's worth a read

Well, I may agree up to a point. I don't agree in the article talking about "insurrections" in 29S or in mayday. There were confontative demos that ended in riots. In my point of view police did controlled the situation quite widely. However, in the general strike of 29S there were some moments they had to back (for the first time in years)

As for the assemblies. I am quite critic about those mass assemblies. They look more than a mediatic show than an assembly. It was obvious that it was impossible to decide or discuss anything at all. Moderators and facilitators used to manipulate the assembly, probably sometimes even unwilling to do that. I understand that 7000 people in a square cannot debate anything. Workgroups could have been more effective. I also noted the tendency to a grassroot bureaucracy. comissions and subcommissions spread all around, and everybody was doing manifestos, and stuff. It was impossible to have a minimal programme because everybody think differently.

However, I retired from the Plaza catalunya assembly in the second week, and I went to my neighbourhood assembly, which has been more radical from its beginning.

AS for the article, I believe it has its importance, as it has been writen from inside the movement while trying to spread anarchist propaganda. Some thoughts are quite useful. And I confirm that the anarchist tent did an excellent work in all those days.

In the crimethinc article it is talked about "self-organization" as revolutionary way opposed to democracy as bourgeois way that has to be destroyed. What is he talking about? what does it mean when he talks about that? Haven't got the slightest idea. I remember a discussion about bordiga's critique of democracy but given that he's a vanguardist i didn't value it much. Where can i find a text where democracy is criticized from an anarchist point of view proposing self-organisation?

We're living in post-modernity. And democracy is sometimes stupid. I went to an assembly last night in which we were voting absolutely everything each 2 minutes. It made me feel silly and unconfortable. That was direct democracy and in my opinion it was a waste of time, as noone was going to obbey the assembly. If I lose the voting, I'd probably won't feel repressented by the assembly, and I'd probably won't do anything for the winner proposal.

The critic to democracy is that it is the rule of the majority against the minority. It does not have to do with right and wrong, but with strenght and weakness.

Nietsche critisized democracy, and Stirner, and García Calvo, and many insurrectionist authors
http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=2591045
http://www.fgbueno.es/gbm/gb2004pd.htm
http://www.rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=64447
http://www.taringa.net/posts/offtopic/8964394/El-anarquismo-contra-la-democracia.html
http://www.radioklara.org/spip/spip.php?article689

For an individual anarchist, we don't have to decide anything, we just have to do the things we want without asking anybody for permit.

I agree up to a point that if we want to change society we need to follow some collective model of decisions, but they are sometimes authoritarian

For an individual anarchist, we don't have to decide anything, we just have to do the things we want without asking anybody for permit.
I agree up to a point that if we want to change society we need to follow some collective model of decisions, but they are sometimes authoritarian

I remember a friend way back in the 1980s going to a dockers' assembly in Barcelona (which was open to all members of dockers' families) and asking her what she thought about something or other, and the woman immediately, and anxiously, said, "You'll have to ask the assembly that". Assemblies can just be another way of avoiding individual initiative and even a way of evading having an opinion, though it obviously depends on how they are used. When an assembly becomes the reference point, it generally descends into the lowest common denominator, particularly when there's an ideology of consensus. It becomes not a critique of parties but a pretension to a critique of them - as much a matter and mentality of organising the organisation as that of the political parties (though clearly the content is different).

See the last part of this - "The Misery Of Unions" about the Barcelona dockers' statute (in fact, this dockers organisation ended up pretty much like a union after several years - voting redundancies for its members).

Valeriano:

Where can i find a text where democracy is criticized from an anarchist point of view proposing self-organisation?

This, though not specifically anarchist, has some discussion and some links to other pieces criticising the fetishism of assemblies.

I wrote this about 8 or 9 years ago:

Contradictions of the Assembly Form
The Zapatistas are hailed by the anarchists and other ideologists of the assembly form for their non-hierarchical form of decision-making. They see what they want to see. The genuine desire for mutual self-determination latches onto a form of organising which is certainly necessary in many circumstances but which usually doesn't go far enough in its refusal of external authority. It ignores the fact that the assembly form has, throughout history, been more than just occasionally compatible with capitalist progress. For example, in Maoist China (the inspiration for the Mexican fore-runners of the Zapatistas, dating from the 70s and 80s) mass self-management within each local commune helped to develop State capital. Significantly, the self- management of local production and distribution was carried out by collective 'non-hierarchical' decision-making but within an externally-defined framework whereby the national comprehension and organisation of this production and distribution was the exclusive, and secret, terrain of the Party (however, some of these projects, such as 'The Great Leap Forward' , were so weirdly ideological that they hardly helped develop State capital, or, for that matter, anything else apart from an atmosphere of utter fatalism). Mao had his central committee, his distant Zapatista heirs have the secret circle of Indian chiefs. Open Democracy for the Masses - Secret Dictatorship for the Elite - the cry, in different forms, of the ruling class everywhere. Politics, like commodity production, is so precious that it should always be attended by a bodyguard of secrets. The defenders of the Zapatistas claim that they are not opportunists, that they have integrity, that they're not Leninist - as if many Bolsheviks before they came to power in 1917 didn't also have integrity and took enormous risks. The point is not that vanguardist manipulators can be defined as purely cynical opportunists (unlike those in Power) but that the logic and practical form of "democracy" allows people to be manipulated - it's mostly based on the resignation of individuals to the limit of externally defined notions of acceptability, to what everyone else says and does. Usually it involves resignation to those who specialise in taking the initiative and to the experts who can put their nebulous feelings into words. The experts in making speeches only express the lowest common denominator of the mass of individuals at the assembly: the different nuances of autonomous self-expression in struggle never get a word in. Especially because of the fear of being ostracised or made fun of, of being humiliated for daring to criticise those who command hierarchical respect. Manipulation falls on the fertile ground of everyone's anxiety of being "incorrect", of making their own mistakes; it falls on the fertile ground of the gang mentality, the corruption of the desire for community.
However, the critique of the assembly form can go too much the other way, dismissing mass decision-making in favour of the 'clarity' of the communist minority. This is the typical line of the Bordigists, for example. That Bordiga, apparently till the end of his life, supported the crushing of the Kronstadt commune is illustrative of how intellectual, abstract and elitist this notion of the 'correct' minority is. Whilst every struggle may have a minority of people who are clearer about the necessary aims of the movement these perspectives have to be argued openly, and a movement should be judged on its practical progress towards these aims, a process over time, not on its failure to spontaneously launch an assault on the totality of commodity relations from the moment of the insurrection, a magical absolutist fantasy that has little practical meaning: an ideology of conversion to an ahistorical truth. Conveniently, the critique of this 'totality' of commodity relations that this intellectual perspective involves excludes a critique of the specialists in consciousness. So much for an assault on the totality. Moreover, it's just as destructive of subversive initiative to submit to the dictatorship of the minority as it is to submit to the dictatorship of the majority.

Where can i find a text where democracy is criticized from an anarchist point of view proposing self-organisation?

For an individual anarchist, we don't have to decide anything, we just have to do the things we want without asking anybody for permit.

To follow on the assemblies issue, I find this very interesting:

(http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/May68docs.htm)
It's a collection of texts and communiques written by SI members that participated in the occupation of the Sorbonne and the general assembly. Later, when the assembly proved it wouldn't move forward and would only interest itself with a reform of the university they continued their actions outside of the Sorbonne. It's a really interesting read that gives you a concrete example.

I found it helpful now that I'm following what is happening in Spain, and assemblies seem to be playing a large role in the movement.

Here is some context: (http://www.cddc.vt.edu/sionline/si/enrages.html)

Samotnaf

...the logic and practical form of "democracy" allows people to be manipulated - it's mostly based on the resignation of individuals to the limit of externally defined notions of acceptability, to what everyone else says and does. Usually it involves resignation to those who specialise in taking the initiative and to the experts who can put their nebulous feelings into words. The experts in making speeches only express the lowest common denominator of the mass of individuals at the assembly: the different nuances of autonomous self-expression in struggle never get a word in. Especially because of the fear of being ostracised or made fun of, of being humiliated for daring to criticise those who command hierarchical respect. Manipulation falls on the fertile ground of everyone's anxiety of being "incorrect", of making their own mistakes; it falls on the fertile ground of the gang mentality, the corruption of the desire for community.

Are these weaknesses of democracy perhaps not inherent to it, but functions of the mindsets of the people involved in democratic processes? Could people learn to speak their minds even if their opinion is unpopular, find a sense of community in being different?

The point is that in an Assembly is hard to say anything. You first have to break the ice of shyness, then to be persistant enough to avoid being silenced or ignored. In a normal popular assembly the participation is usually of about 5 to 15%. Of course, one of the solutions we've implemented is to divide big assemblies into workgroups, but in the end the decissions are taken by the people who knows how to persuade the others, who speak the best, who have a better formation, who have more time and patience than the others... generally students, teachers and politicians :)

Amazing video. I do recommend you to watch it. It's about the 19J demo in Barcelona. You will see the columns marching from the "Barrios" and joining together when they are near the town center. (the video is half/half in catalan and spanish)

http://blip.tv/okupemlesones/19j-el-carrer-es-nostre-5304499

Good news, right now CNT-Spain is running 4 strikes at the same time. (Aussa in Seville, Departament del Territori in Barcelona, Mediapost in Barakaldo and Silice in Extremadura.) It's probably the biggest wave of strikes cnt has been involved into since, probably, 1987-9.

Salvoechea:

Are the assemblies in those areas aware of the strikes? Are they doing any support or interacting in any other way?

Are there any other notable strikes happening in Spain right now?

Look at here:
http://www.alasbarricadas.org/noticias/?q=node/18046

This is the call for an "encuentro" of workers assemblies in Barcelona. I don't think there is a real workers movement, as it is mainly in hands of CCOO and UGT and they are increasingly seen as part of the problem. Many workers reject them as privileged and sold-out. However, worker struggles are not many in Spain. The level of consciousness of the crisis is low. Now with the cuts in some key sectors (hospitals, education, public service, transport, etc. ) there are some movilisations. Anyway, those movilisations are partial, isolated, and they don't feel the need to coordinate their struggles with noone else.

If you want to measure the level of union struggle you can follow this link:

http://news.google.es/news/search?aq=f&pz=1&cf=all&ned=es&hl=es&q=huelga&btnmeta_news_search=Buscar+en+Noticias

and the result is quite pathetic. working class is still in a defensive struggle.

Maybe this link will interest you. It shows the anti-evictment actions. In the square on the right you got three categories: ongoing evictment, paralised evictment and evicted families, click on them and there you go:

http://stopdesahucios.tomalaplaza.net/

Radical unions begin meeting together with an aim to combine their struggles and eventually, a general strike:

Las organizaciones sindicales CGT, CNT, CSC y SO nos reunimos el pasado 24 de junio en Madrid para valorar las respuestas que, ante el ataque sin precedentes que trabajadores y trabajadoras estamos sufriendo por la política de recortes y pérdida de derechos impulsada por el gobierno y las instituciones europeas, a instancias de la patronal y los mercados, debemos oponer en un proceso de lucha coordinada desde la unidad de acción y de clase.

Las distintas organizaciones sindicales participantes compartimos el rechazo frontal a unas políticas que, con las sucesivas reformas laborales, los recortes en el sistema de pensiones, la reforma de la negociación colectiva y los recortes sociales y en los servicios públicos, pretenden, una vez más, que sean los trabajadores y trabajadoras, y los sectores más débiles de la sociedad, quienes paguen la crisis capitalista.

Compartimos igualmente la necesidad de poner en marcha una respuesta común, que por encima de las diferencias, avance hacia la unidad de los trabajadores y trabajadoras en la movilización y la lucha, contando con la participación de todas aquellas organizaciones sindicales, colectivos de trabajadores y movimientos sociales contrarios a la política de pacto social y desmovilización impulsadas desde el sindicalismo institucional de CCOO y UGT.

Creemos necesario luchar desde la ruptura con un modelo sindical, que en los últimos 30 años nos ha conducido a sucesivas pérdidas de derechos, y que en este momento de aguda crisis del capitalismo, ha demostrado su complicidad y su falta de voluntad y capacidad para dar una respuesta a los ataques contra la clase trabajadora. Un modelo sindical que ha promovido un sindicalismo institucionalizado, dependiente del estado, dirigido a impedir la movilización y la participación real de la clase trabajadora en organizaciones sindicales autónomas y con voluntad de lucha.

La reforma de la Negociación Colectiva, que se está tramitando en el parlamento es, además de un nuevo y grave recorte de derechos, una vuelta de tuerca más para tratar de controlar la conflictividad laboral y la lucha social, consolidando el bisindicalismo institucional y su papel como gestores de la crisis en favor de los intereses capitalistas, recortando aún más la capacidad de acción de otras organizaciones sindicales, y la libertad sindical de trabajadores y trabajadoras.

La reunión del 24 de junio es el primer paso de un proceso que en los próximos meses impulse la movilización desde reivindicaciones comunes, debatidas y asumidas por los trabajadores y trabajadoras, con el horizonte de una Huelga General con capacidad de enfrentar la actual ofensiva y avanzar en la conquista de nuevos derechos sociales.

Los acontecimientos surgidos a partir del 15M han roto con el clima de pasividad previo y nos sitúan en un escenario de movilización, sin precedentes desde que surgió la crisis, que ahora debe trasladarse a los centros de trabajo, situando las reivindicaciones sociales y económicas de trabajadores y trabajadoras en el centro del debate público, aportando a este movimiento las herramientas necesarias para la confrontación y la lucha en el terreno económico y laboral, complementando a las demandas socio-políticas la acción concreta contra el capitalismo.

La situación nos exige una respuesta proporcionalmente igual de contundente que las medidas que estamos sufriendo los trabajadores y trabajadoras y por ello consideramos necesario no sólo continuar con las luchas sindicales que llevamos a cabo, sino dar un paso que rompa definitivamente con este modelo de sindicalismo institucionalizado y generar un precedente en el cual seamos los sindicatos de clase quienes empecemos a marcar los tiempos desde la acción ofensiva para conseguir nuestros objetivos.

CGT - CNT - SO

(Nota : CSC asistió a la reunión, pero de momento no ha suscrito el documento)

Needless to say that, appart from this is a good step in the right direction, is important to have in mind that radical unions in Spain does not have enough strength to stop the production and force a general workplace stop.

Salvoechea

Needless to say that, appart from this is a good step in the right direction, is important to have in mind that radical unions in Spain does not have enough strength to stop the production and force a general workplace stop.

Neither am i sure about that. I knew about it a coupla days ago. If by then things are hot enough maybe wouldn't be a bad idea but its way too big a bet for unions like SO and the like and a faliure would be a step back. I think to concentrate in the evictions stuff and the barrios assemblies is less risky and would assure the continuity of the movement. We'll see.

Ps. The new squat in my town was evicted by the police last week. Before the event I was helping them cleaning the place and had the chance to have a chat. Very good will but they were mostly kids, between 18 and 22 most of em (no patronizing pun intended, guaranteed) and no revolutionary vision in sight. Mostly outraged at their life perspectives (fair enough) but still much too much belief in parliamentary politics (reform of electoral law) and much reluctance to abandon the interclassist approach. I still see way too many people here that don't even consider themselves working class. In this situation i see no big chance in success of a general strike. I talked with a mate that is working in the car industry here. He, who is an unaffiliated anarco, told me tha same; no way it's gonna work: no class conciousness and way too much mortgages and black economy.

Some day here we should talk about black economy. In the south it's gonna be a formidable problem in the next years.

way too much mortgages and black economy.

Why equate the two? Is it because you think the black economy makes people fearful of being found out, and so keep a low profile, just as a mortgage produces another fear that makes them submit? Amongst people i know who sometimes survive in the black economy, they're not cowered. But maybe I've misunderstood.

Samotnaf

way too much mortgages and black economy.

Why equate the two? Is it because you think the black economy makes people fearful of being found out, and so keep a low profile, just as a mortgage produces another fear that makes them submit? Amongst people i know who sometimes survive in the black economy, they're not cowered. But maybe I've misunderstood.

I didn't explain myself enough. They are two different problems.

Mortgages: In the last 10 years or so mortgages have lead people to work overtime in most companies which leads too to two different (tho equally selfish) behaviours: 1) "if i have to work extra time to pay the mortgage, don't expect me to strike. I need the money and need it now" and 2) "If extra time is vital for me don't expect me to favour that the company hires more workers, i'm fine with my extra time"

Black Economy: Only way to make ends meet when you are not hired enough time or, even worse, when you are not "officially" hired at all. Besides, it's what makes many people not to explode while they are on the dole cos some way they make ends meet this way. It brings two problems too: 1) Working under no contract with no rights makes virtually impossible to strike, 2) If however there are people who dare to strike there is no chance that they are gonna be counted among the strikers (of course they'd be seen fighting in the streets, but that's another thing)

I imagine that black market and that underground economy will play against a revolutionary situation in the south of Spain (30% of "official" unemployment - but i think it's quite soften by that informal economy and the help of families). Also the rebirth of emigration (spaniards going somewhere, and non-spanish immigrants moving home) in this year would help to calm down the social situation, which will be an adventage in the future for governments.

--

by the way. the 15M movement has helped to stop 47 evictions in 2 months.

http://www.publico.es/espana/385328/los-indignados-ya-han-logrado-paralizar-47-desalojos

Valeriano:

Black Economy: Only way to make ends meet when you are not hired enough time or, even worse, when you are not "officially" hired at all. Besides, it's what makes many people not to explode while they are on the dole cos some way they make ends meet this way. It brings two problems too: 1) Working under no contract with no rights makes virtually impossible to strike, 2) If however there are people who dare to strike there is no chance that they are gonna be counted among the strikers (of course they'd be seen fighting in the streets, but that's another thing)

You seem to be saying that if you can make ends meet, you're not going to struggle against this society; I haven't noticed the millions of peope who are starving or almost starving rising up. This is a kind of simplistic determinism that doesn't bear any historical examination. Intensified misery doesn't automatically mean you revolt more, even though the anticipation of it might. And there are plenty of people who haven't been on strike who contribute to the subversion of this society (the majority of the working class don't in fact work - they're either too young, too old, unemployed or housewives/househusbands; so they can hardly go on strike). Moreover, in certain circumstances, people working in the black economy go on strike despite the risks.

In spain black economy represents about 23 % of GDP and most of it was in the building sector. That means that what has been called the driving force of spain's economy in the last twelve years was plagued by black economy. Who were the ones suffering more by that situation? immigrants. How can a situation like that last and not being challenged? by the lack of inspections and the conformity of many workers that prefered that rather than having a contract but lower wages and if you accept that is not likely that you are going to strike in the near future. Obviously (at least for me) an immigrant (legal or not) with no familiar or friends net is more vulnerable and more likely to stay there than a spanish citizen. An immigrant has no other chance and only when things get worse they revolt and/or strike (El Ejido in Almería some years ago is a good example but there've been more in Murcia or Cataluña for instance) but that is much less likely with spanish citizens. Most of the ones that are in that situation simply get by with that and the family's help and maybe some benefits (earnt when they had a contract)

All the time i say "many" and "the most" because i'm talking about the bulk of people involved in this situation, what is of relevance for me, numbers are important for me. I'm not making a necessary connection between black economy and servile attitude. I'd be a cretin if i did. Of course in works black runned there are gonna be revolts here and there but they are not relevant except for the ones involved. The maintaining of such a big informal sector in spain's economy is a blessing for both spain's and europe's invested capital. Cos is cheaper and easier to manage.

You can question my "numbers are important" approach but what i said about black economy is hardly simplistic. It's supported by personal experience and empirical evidence. You are right when you say that in a person that has until now lived relatively well the sight of comming poverty might be the trigger for revolting...or not. The problem is we don't know how will things develop in the near future. There are many factors involved it will depend on its combination. But up until now the combination of mortgages and black economy (there are many people that suffers both) has been a big deterrent for major conflicts.

Ps. You said that the most of the working class don't even work. Does it mean that you don't consider a general strike right now a useful tool of protest?

You said that the most of the working class don't even work. Does it mean that you don't consider a general strike right now a useful tool of protest?

Clearly it would be very very very useful ( though I think anarchists historically have tended to idealise it, to turn "the General Strike " into the aim of all their activity and to see it as Day One of the Revolution; plus - is it an immediate possibility/likelihood?): the fact that a majority of the proletariat wouldn't be on strike doesn't mean anything, since clearly the families, both immediate and extended, would be directly involved/effected; plus solidarity from the unemployed, who could be used to scab, would be essential; in fact, indirectly the vast majority of the proletariat would be involved if the strike were genuinely "general". I'm certainly not in any way dismissing strikes and certainly didn't want to give that impression at all.

Got no problems with what you say about the black economy (but then I don't know much about its Spanish version). Think you're right that an analysis of the black economy, its different histories and the State's (and other bosses') strategy in the future, is a project very well worth developing. But my point was that no proletarian, by virtue of their different position in the hierarchy, "marginal" or not, is somehow pre-determined in their ability, or lack of it, to contest this society in different ways.

I just saw this on nodo50, it seems the Spanish police union is upset about the mean old indignados http://www.nodo50.org/tortuga/Un-sindicato-policial-se-queja-de

http://www.publico.es/espana/389819/la-policia-corta-los-accesos-a-sol

Mark.

AJE: 15M protesters back in Puerta del Sol

Thousands of Spain's "indignant" protesters - including hundreds who crossed the country on foot - marched through Madrid and once again filled the town centre Sol square to demonstrate against high unemployment and the economic crisis.

Six columns of more than 500 protesters who marched for weeks from cities across Spain formed the core of Sunday's demonstration...

Some days ago my sister who was still living in Barcelona at the time, said that there were people there leaving to walk all the way to Madrid. I don't know if some of those that "crossed the country on foot" are the ones from Barcelona or that if they are they walked the whole way, but if some of them walked all the way from Barcelona it's impressive.

I don't know if some of those that "crossed the country on foot" are the ones from Barcelona or that if they are they walked the whole way, but if some of them walked all the way from Barcelona it's impressive.

More than likely some of them were, yeah. I was in Madrid for a week in the middle of july, just before the marches arrived on sunday (I left on monday) At the beggining of that week in the assemblies people were afaraid if the movement was going to last. At the end it was clear it had come to stay. As an example on sunday evening we knew of an eviction that was to take place next morning. A dodgy move planed by the landlord and the judge; usually the procedure demands that the tenant must have at least a week time before he must left but the judge simply skip his rights. There were more circumstances that made the eviction ilegal but it's a long story. With only 12 hours time we managed to gather 30 people there (Vallecas neighbourhood) and the eviction was stopped. I tell you this because a) it's becoming clear that many vultures are taking advantage of the decissions simply to throw people out even if they don't have the right (in this case it was a rent not a mortgage) and 2) the movement is fast enough to prevent that in 12 hours time...

A move from part of the movement to ask the parliament for a referendum on elections system it's being harshly contested by the majority of the assemblies since it's a way of putting the initiative in the hands of mps. There are other problems regarding a so-called respect committee that tries to function as an inner police and other things. But what right now is fueling the protest is the pope´s visit in which the spanish state is wasting 50 million euro and the fact that madrid's local government has forced the public (non private) schools and colleges to open during the summer to host the pious invading us, which obviously piss us off big time. This autumn it's gonna be a burning one, you bet.

After three days of marching all over Madrid and four or five attempts to retake Sol peacefully, indignados were charged by riot police in front of the Interior Ministry late Thursday night. At least a dozen hurt as of last count.

Defiant indignados receive blows, solidarity from police #nopararemos #europeanrevolution

The three-day battle for Puerta del Sol — in pictures

aloeveraone

At least a dozen hurt as of last count.

Defiant indignados receive blows, solidarity from police #nopararemos #europeanrevolution

More like twenty.

http://www.publico.es/espana/390168/las-cargas-policiales-contra-los-indignados-dejan-20-heridos-leves

More worrying is the threat made by Madrid's head of PP that if the cops are not heavy enough on the protestors (the conservatives argue that the current interior minister is preventing the cops of using full force), he would call madrid pp members (ca. 90000) for counter-demonstrations before the pope comes. A kind of 1930's confrontantion and a malicious way of calling the far right for help which, on the other hand, shows that they are scared.

http://www.publico.es/espana/390129/el-pp-planea-movilizar-a-sus-afiliados-frente-al-15m

Sol reconquered:

Los indignados retoman Sol

Not bad info-graph

And since I'm posting here. It's old news, but just in case somebody didn't know. After raising the price of subway tickets by 50%, their price was lowered five times (but the decrease in price is just for the pilgrims)

[youtube]9zJCgUu5mtE[/youtube]

Watch from about 1:24

witcht-hunt to the indignant movement in Barcelona. 22 person arrested. Most (I don't know if all of them) are key anarchist participants in that movement: they are people from different anarchist collectives that have worked in the 15M movement.

Yesterday there have been an anti-repressive demonstration in Barcelona joining about 2000 people

http://www.setmanaridirecta.info/noticia/mes-de-2000-persones-es-manifesten-contra-les-setze-detencions-dactivistes-del-moviment-15-m

The arrest of 6 people was quite bizarre as they presented voluntarily in Court, knowing that they were searched. When they were wainting their turn, antiriot police came in and arrest those 6 pushing back amazed familiar, friends, journalists, and even lawyers and judges who were having breakfest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXai4a-W4w

Just got back from a GA of 2000-3000 people mostly reporting on all of the topical assrmblies from the day and deciding how to respond to the 18 arrests yesterday when the police kicked everyone out of the plaza. I'm really interested to see where this goes, but I'm also amazed to see a GA working eith so many people, though there may have been problems I didn't see.