2011-06-13 Camps in Madrid and Barcelona dismount #AcampadaSol & #AcampadaBCN of #SpanishRevolution #EuropeanRevolution

The camps slowly disappear After weeks of tension and negotiations last week the General Assembly of Puerta del Sol (Madrid) and Plaza Catalunya (Barcelona) agreed to lift camp today. Starting early in the morning the squares have been progressively stripped bare and will be lifted completely this evening, almost 25 days after they started. In Madrid, the makeshift furniture, tents and posters have been slowly removed all week long. Today various trucks are being loaded and the last remaining parts are being taken down, the 4000 books donated to the library will end up in various social centers, while most of the furniture will be recycled or destroyed by a disposal vehicle brought in by the city authorities. Some of the protestors, in both cities, have decided to remain, arguing that initial idea was to stay indefinitely. Their freedom to do so has been respected but they fear that it will result in police action. Some of them also proposed the idea of making it an itinerant camp that could move through squares around the city but a consensus was not achieved on this matter. It is also to be seen if a permanent information booth will be installed and left behind.
(Video of the demonstration that took place this night in the main street of Madrid (Gran Via) to end Plaza Sol Camp) A restructuring of the movement “We are not leaving, we are expanding” is the motto behind the lifting of the tents. This coincides with the idea that the central camp of Sol will hand over the baton to the neighborhood assemblies, who are in charge of local action, such as the ones carried our already: protests outside health centers that are to be privatized, gatherings before local government representatives or debates for specific action in each district. All of these smaller assemblies will carry the movement onward, while Sol square will remain as an extraordinary gathering place, a symbol for the movement and a space for the General Assembly. Other camps in Spain The camps in Huelva, Granada, Mieres, Langreo, Aviles, Gijon, Oviedo, Teruel and Salamanca have chosen to follow the examples of the main cities and leave the squares. Some of them, like Pamplona will have a permanent information point where people can ask for ways to participate. In other places such as in Tenerife, Santiago de Compostela, Valencia and Santander the camps will go on indefinitely. Live feed from Madrid: http://cdn.livestream.com/embed/spanishrevolutionsol?layout=4&autoplay=false

Watch live streaming video from spanishrevolutionsol at livestream.com

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General Assemby in Madrid decides to end #acampadasol, but continue the struggle

#spanishrevolution, #ukrevolution, #acampadasol, #greekrevolution, #europeanrevolution

The M-15 movement in Madrid has decided tonight, after a four hour long general assembly that it will end its occupation of ‘La Puerta de Sol’ (main square in Madrid) on Sunday the 12^th of June. The way in which this process will be carried out will continue to be debated and it is likely that a small permanent information office will remain. The movement will also continue to hold daily general assemblies in the square and it acknowledged that some people may decide to continue the occupation as individuals.

The reasons given for ending the occupation are varied. It is partly to address the growing problems associated with the camp, in regards to security and hygiene. However, more importantly it is part of strategy for decentralizing expanding the movement. This has already began, with a national day of action planned for the 19^th of June and the creation of popular assemblies in hundreds of suburbs and communities all over Spain. The occupation is currently in its 24^th day and the M-15 movement has vowed to continue its struggle for  participatory democracy and social justice.

The #15M Prepares for the Post-camping Era #spanishrevolution

The 15-M Prepares for the Post-camping Era, #spanishrevolution, #acampadasol, #europeanrevolution, #ukrevolution, #greekrevolution, #frenchrevolution,

The member associations of 15-M now prepare for the post-camping era. Leading up to the temporary eviction of Barcelona and Lleida, they experienced a gradual decrease in the number of participants and media attention. After this episode, in spite of the present upturn, they know they will again lose supporters. However, they believe that the movement has to continue and they are already preparing the strategy: they propose a European mobilization at the end of June, the creation of a wikiparliament to formalize proposals, the development of Democracy 4.0 and the extension of the movement in networks through the suburbs and smaller cities.

The political intervention in Catalonia has revived the protests. This already happened in Granada at the beginning of the election campaign. The greater the political presence, the more protesters in the camps. Yet the members of 15-M are conscious that the near future will hold a decrease in demonstrators until the dissolution of the camps. Nevertheless, they don’t want the lack of presence in the streets to mean the end of this unprecedented movement.

The Laboratory of Political Ideas and Practice of the Pablo de Olavide University in Seville has welcomed the movement because, according to professor of Philosophy of Law Rafael Rodríguez, it is necessary to “create links and synergies” to facilitate the elaboration of proposals for social transformation. In the setting of this laboratory, Law graduate Francisco Jurado, member of 15-M and one of the founders of coordinating committee of Democracia Real Ya (Real Democracy Now), has explained how they are planning the future.

Wikiparliament. The methodology for decision-making in this assembly setting is still in debate. One of the ideas being considered is to create a wiki-type platform of proposals on the Internet, a page that will be cultivated with voluntary contributions. This system would permit the revision of proposals and for all to continue refining and contributing their knowledge and experience.

They reject the presentation of proposals without certain “minimum requirements”. So they consider that this wikicongress would permit any idea to be proposed, amended and developed with reasonable contributions. Once there is a consensus on these proposals, they will be initiated.

Amongst the short-term objectives, is that mortgages be settled in the case of non-payment. In the long-term, they aim for a revision of the separation of powers, social monitoring of executive actions and the reform of the channels of participation. As they reject links to any political party, the tradition parliamentary channel is unlikely and proposing popular legislative initiatives is limited. “We would be pleased if a political party took up our proposals,” Jurado affirms.

Democracy 4.0. This is the title used by a member of the university laboratory of ideas. It’s based in the existence of sufficient technology and legal precedents – there are measures that authorize Members of Parliament to vote without being physically in Parliament – in order to guarantee citizen participation beyond every four years in the ballot box. An online system of voting would facilitate citizens to express their opinions.

To this point they add many others that would facilitate the channels of social participation in the parliaments, without the need for citizens to direct their proposals through political groups.

Territorial reorganization. The first action is to extend the movement and disassociate it from the central plazas. They are aware that the camps have been fundamental, a “lesson in practical politics”, Jurado asserts. The camps have been a grouping by common interests and objectives that have generated an “identity”, but 15-M cannot limit itself to Sol, the Plaza of Catalunya or “las setas”, as they call the Plaza of La Encarnación in Seville.

The objective is to disperse this movement with teaching through “local settings”, like neighbourhoods and small villages. By maintaining the global character of the movement, the creation of an international platform can be simultaneously promoted. In this way, they aim to generate a network that will produce support systems, proposals and followers.

Education. This is another key plan of 15-M. They aim to promote initiatives, like those of the Seville Pablo de Olavide University, in order to create a society that is committed and prepared to take a more active position in the management and monitoring of government administration.

In this sense, Jurado explains, they imagine the university as a centre for investigation and knowledge, grounded in social reality.

Take the suburbs! Popular Assemblies on Saturday 28th May in all of Madrid #acampadasol #spanishrevolution #15m

Madrid.tomalosbarrios.net is already working and from there popular assemblies are being organized for the next Saturday 28th of May, 12 pm, at the squares of towns and suburbs near Madrid.

The list is continously updated and hundreds of emails were received in only a couple of days, so we ask for the maximum cooperation, support for the comissions and responsability regarding this iniciative of self-organization.

Finally, the Comission of Suburbs wants to remember that on Tuesday the 24th there will be an assembly at 8 pm at the Plaza del Carmen, all interested people are welcome to come and take part in the popular assemblies and share the opinions of your suburbs in order to continue organizing the movement, methodology, etc.

Course of Action for #acampadasol #Spanishrevolution #15m

Course of action in case the square is evicted:

1- First and foremost, stay calm. We are organized. We have a legal team working for all of us. Precise instructions will be given from the PA sound system on how to proceed. These instructions must be followed by everyone.
2- The resistance strategy will be a pacific sit-in, non-responsive to any taunting or provocative remark. We will all sit down in SILENCE and we will take the arm of the one beside us.
3- If you don’t support this type of resistance, please go to one of the Meeting Points, which will be established in Jacinto Benavente Sq., Callao Sq. and “red de San Luis” (Gran Vía with Montera St.)
4- Once resistance is initiated, we will all move to the visible part of the square, as the PA sound sytem will indicate.
5- Keep an SMS template with the text “they have started evacuating Sol camp, come and protect it!” to send to your contact list once PA confirms the fact.
And remember:
Please, try not to spread rumours. Remember the only confirmed information is the one emitted by PA. Have your ID with you at all times. Keep calm. Together we stand. ¡No nos moverán!

Release of detainees in the event of #15M 2011 at #Acampadasol #Spanishrevolution

(Originally posted at http://madrid.tomalaplaza.net/2011/05/22/release-of-detainees-in-the-event-of-may-15-2011/ )

Vegan Press detainees the demonstration of May 15, 2011

Assembly of the exhibition held from May 15

With this release we show how we addressed the national police and that people know what the attitude of these people, blinded by power.

We write these lines to express how we feel about what happened.

We are very different people, about ourselves as anarchists and others as anti-globalization, feminists, environmentalists, people who are in favour of a real democracy, etc., but all the comrades saw and suffered in our flesh the disproportionate police harassment and unfair.

Given that some did not participate in the demonstration, and we were able to defend various forms of political action, we all have a common feeling, discontent with the current situation of our lives (the difficulty in finding work or precarious conditions, no to realize our dreams because of economic inequalities and all this education consume and consume based on repressed by our political ideas or wanting to be different from what surrounds us). We are facing a scenario with no hope and no future that prompt us to live peacefully and be able to deal with what we like to each. Therefore, most came to the event May 15 to try to change this system more fair and equitable, but what was our experience: Repression by the state security Corps.

It was shameful to see how exalted men, dressed and equipped with all kinds of weapons to frighten and hitting anything that moved or anyone who was a little different as dictated by market trends, see how the police, which is supposed to maintain order and social peace, who was hit with impunity in their power, their faces full of hatred and dilated pupils (by stimulants that may have consumed), the terror that used to defend bankers, politicians and big business.

Detainees vegan agrees on the form of disproportionate, random act of the police, the following points:

1. A colleague, after examining his arrest in the van and hands tied, he was caught in the head and beat him to the seat of the van, which bears traces saying is “unhygienic “and that he did not care that there was no done nothing, but it was a dirty, and that was enough to hit her. And when it seems that has already passed, another riot was about to say “do not complain much, at least has hit just one.”

2. Another companion, baggy trousers, they say: “Normal you cannot find work with those pants fag” among other homophobic and sexist comments.

3. Another colleague who was leaving for home after completing the event, accompanied by his girlfriend see how the police are smashing blows a guy asks you to stop hitting and ends beaten and arrested for “getting where no one was called “.

4. Two comrades, to see how the riot batons to beat people sitting in the middle of Gran Via, intervene to raise the kids the ground and did not set foot, ending with secret police detained for aesthetic skins, only identified themselves as police after the arrests.

5. Another fellow had the misfortune of wanting to take the commuter rail in Sol after coming to play football. He was arrested “for being in the wrong time and place, ” as he later said in front of us all laughing in your face, humbling to see that the bag carried the football boots, shin pads, the robe of his team and ball. Just little joke saying, “do not complain much, so you have a story to tell your grandchildren.”

6. In the Provincial Information Brigade in Madrid, located in Moratalaz, we could not look up from the ground, as they either received a cry or a stroke. It was like horror movies, were all hooded, let us not look them in the face, even when we did a question. Unfortunately, reality is stranger than fiction.

7. Lying on the ground with the bridle tight in the wrists and looking down, warns that another partner has heart problems, which has been operated and taking medication. Asked to be transferred to hospital, to which the officers responded mocking him and denying him medical care. Spent 2 hours until a police commander said he would call the Emergencies, who arrived an hour later. For the police, the situation seemed funny and decided to put the nickname “The Telele” made ​​jokes and comments. He was eventually taken to hospital where he was treated. They put a road and provided him with medication. To be returned to jail, not let him take the medication with him and told him when he needed the request. After several hours, there was a changing of the guard and the new officers were not informed of the problem, when having to take a new dose was refused. The companion suffered a panic attack and agreed to their demands after more than two hours that we spend the rest of the detainees to help him screaming.

8. Since many of the comrades we were frightened, and in the first instance did not want to advise our parents or see a doctor. After the initial shock, we call these rights and one of the responsible commissioner Moratalaz literally cried: “Panda’s sissies, wimps of shit, I’ll get a kick in the ass that you will come out through your mouth, not first want to be notified to your mom and 5 minutes yes, but what the fuck you think is this bunch of assholes? Go to suck!

9. For all shipments in the car we drive recklessly at high speed, swerving and braking giving way, so that when in the back in handcuffs we beat them against the doors and partition walls.

10. Other signs of psychological abuse were:
– One partner said, “You’re lucky that I have not hit two shots”
– As we crawled up the stairs said: “We could throw out the window, which is a fucking socialist.”
– We are seeing signs of abuse and racism against other detainees.
– They refused to provide the resources that a partner hygienic deem necessary for menstruation.
– They altered our temporal consciousness and our sleep cycles.
– Continually mocked vegan status of some of us, with derogatory phrases like: “Look, this is the vegetarian.” “Normal, with the face of bitter you have.” Of course, they refused to respect this condition. They further argued that food was scarce saying “so fucking sexy for the summer.”

In addition to these abuses and humiliations, we denounce the crimes of “public disorder”, punishable from 6 months to 3 years in prison “Infringement of the authority”, punishable by 1 to 3 years in prison and “Resistance.” The first charge is common for all detainees, and then varies from 2 to 3 counts. These are the testimonies of the elderly, having 5 other children who were taken to the lumps (Lower Panel) and whose testimony was not known and we want to express our solidarity.

This was the treatment we receive, without forgetting that we were all lying on the floor face down or facing the wall, with clamps or tightly shackled to the maximum, for 2 or 3 hours.

With this release we show how we dealt with the Spanish National Police and that people know what the attitude of these people, blinded by the power they have granted.
We encourage all people to continue to participate in these demonstrations, or as they see fit, to show that we are not afraid and we are tired of their lies and theft.

If you fight you lose, but if you do not fight you are lost.

The street is ours and our lives too. We no longer believe their lies. The changes are in the street and not just in the polls. Do not represent us. No, no, they do not represent us!

#Acampadasol will continue in Madrid – #spanishrevolution #15m

– TRANSLATION – (Originally posted at http://madrid.tomalaplaza.net/2011/05/22/acampada-sol-continuara-en-la-puerta-del-sol/)

MADRID, May 22th 2011. The General Assembly at Acampada Sol (Occupation at Sol Square) agreed during today’s morning meeting to continue camping at Puerta del Sol at least next Sunday (29th May). In this matter the Assembly was unanimous. One of the many reasons to continue the camp was the exportation of the kind of work which is being performed to other towns around Madrid. The final intention is that the various neighborhoods of Madrid experiment with the direct-participational system used at Sol. The definitive agreement was reached at 2:00 p.m. today.

Citizenship grows
We stress that the General Assembly of Sol was born after the protests of  the 15th of May 2011. During the first of the assemblies it was agreed that we would camp peacefully in Sol. The main objective was to demand a new society, a society that gives priority to people over economic and political interests. Basically, a change in social awareness. From this moment onwards the number of citizens sleeping in the camp and participating in the movement has gotten bigger and bigger. Every day there is more people actively paticipating in their community.
According to a spokesperson of Acampada Sol: ¨During the week we will be giving out details on how we will export this model to the towns of Madrid province¨.
Acampada Sol

@acampadasol – http://www.facebook.com/spanishrevolution

http://madrid.tomalaplaza.net

Propositions approved at May 20th 2011 Assembly at #acampadasol #spanishrevolution

– TRANSLATION-
MADRID, May 20th 2011. As a result of the agreement reached during the assembly of the 20th May 2011 in ACAMPADA SOL (Sol Square occupation) and as a result of the recopilation and synthesis of the various propositions received during past days, a list of proposals was elaborated. We point out that the Assembly is an open and collaborative process. This list must not be understood as finished.

Propositions approved at today’s assembly (May 20th 2011):

1. Reform of the Electoral Law. We demand open lists with unique circumscription. The number of acquired seats must be proportional to the number of votes.

2. Enforcement of basic and fundamental rights expressed in the Spanish Constitution, such as:

– The right to decent housing, achieved by a reform in mortgage law.

– So that handing over the house implicates the cancelling of the debt.

– Free and universal public health system.

3. Abolition of discriminatory  laws, such as the European Space for Higher Education, the Immigration Law and the Sinde Law.

4. Fiscal reform to favor equality, a tax reform actually based on income and inheritance. We also demand the implementation of Tobin Taxes, which take into account international financial transfers and the suppression of fiscal paradises.

5. Reform of the labor conditions of the political class, to abolish, for example,  life salaries.

6.   Transparency and political lists free from corruption must be mandatory by Electoral Law.

7. Plural action regarding banks and financial markets, obeying 128th article of Constitution, which determines that all the country´s wealth, in its various forms and ways of ownership, is subjected to general interest. Control of the IMF and European Central Bank’s power and influence. Immediate nationalization of those banking entities which were rescued by the State. Enduring control over financial entities and operations so abuses, in their various forms,  are abolished.

8. Real detachment  between the Church and the State, as stressed in the 16th article of the Constitution.

9.  Participative and direct democracy, active citizenship must be encouraged institutionally.  Popular access to media must be ethical and truthful.

10. True regularization of labor conditions with accurate enforcement by the powers of the State.

11.  Closing of all nuclear energy plants and promotion of renewable and free energy.

12. Recovery of public enterprises which were privatized.

13. Effective separation between executive, legislative and judicial powers.

14. Reduction of military expenses, immediate closing of weapon factories and a more effective control of state security forces. As a peaceful movement we believe in an end to wars.

15. Recovery of Historical Memory and the founding principles of the fight for democracy in our state.

16. Transparency of political parties accounts and financing as a way of stopping corruption.