More than 300 people gathered on Dublin’s O’Connell St on Saturday 21 May to show their solidarity with what has been called the ‘Spanish Revolution’.
Spanish expatriates joined in the peaceful protest against high unemployment and austerity measures, which started on the Plaza del Sol in Madrid on 15 of May and quickly spread to several European countries.
In Dublin, the protestors were vocal in their outrage at the increasing inequalities of Spanish society. The country – which has instituted harsh austerity measures to cut its budget deficit – has one of the highest unemployment rates in the European Union, with over 20 per cent of people out of work.
One of their main points is that money does not appear to be lacking in the country, but is badly used and only benefits a handful of bankers and politicians.
According to the protestors’ manifesto, the priority of the Spanish government should be equality, solidarity, progress and free access to culture and health care.
They also argue that the government should focus on sustainable development and put the people’s well-being at the center of its policies.
Young Spaniards expressed that they do not feel represented by their politicians, who they said seem only interested in making themselves richer.
Some Irish people also joined the demonstration to express their discontent with the current Irish Government.
“In Spain, bankers, politicians and corporate elites [...] are putting the interests of a small minority ahead of the needs of the entire society. That is exactly what ishappening in this country,” said Richard Boyd Barrett of the United Left Alliance.
Barrett also lambasted the “unelected vampires and vultures” of the IMF, ECB, European Commission and corporate and financial elites who “wish to sacrifice our society, your society, European society for profit, for money and for power.”
The peaceful demonstration in Dublin was organised via social networks by the Spanish political platform Democracia Real Ya (For a True Democracy Now).
The organisation describes itself as non-violent, non-partisan, not involved in any ideology and not linked to any trade union, but not apolitical.
On its Facebook page, the Dublin branch said it was planning to hold meetings to organise other demonstrations and to define what the next steps of the movement will be.
