Madrid Housing Protest Echoes 15M Movement
Protestors occupy Sol square in Madrid demanding affordable housing, drawing parallels to the 15M movement and questioning the PSOE's record.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Sol Square Reoccupied: Housing Becomes the New 15M Flag
Can a protest camp in Puerta del Sol revive the spirit of the 15M movement under a new banner? That's what was seen in Madrid this past weekend: a demonstration on Saturday at 6:30 PM from Sol towards Congress and a rally on Sunday at 12:00 PM, called by the Madrid Neighborhood Federation and the Tenants' Union. The slogan is no longer 'real democracy now': the flag is now the price of housing and the rejection of urban speculation. Sol, once again, as a showcase.
What is being demanded at the Sol camp?
The focus is the right to housing and halting urban speculation. The protest spans both days and targets the Madrid regional president's office. T-shirts from Rayo Vallecano, Palestinian flags, and left-wing symbols coexist, an amalgam that some interpret as transversality and others as a simple collection of discontent. Some arrive with a very specific demand, while others seek a platform. One current of discourse also drifts towards immigration as a supposed pressure on rent, an argument not accompanied by any figures.
The First 15M Wasn't Against the PP
It's worth refreshing the archives. In May 2011, the PSOE governed Spain: José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was concluding his second term after approving a severe austerity and cuts package in 2010. The movement began a week before the municipal and regional elections on May 22nd, with the PP still in opposition. The protest, therefore, targeted the socialist government, not the one that was about to take office. This is the detail that most bothers those trying to attach the camp to a single political party.
Eight and a Half Years, the Figure Under Discussion
The figure being discussed is the PSOE's time in La Moncloa: almost eight and a half years since June 1st, 2018, according to a calculation circulating in the debate that not all participants share. With that data on the table, the camp is directed at a regional president—the one from Madrid—whose party does not govern Spain. Hence the mutual accusation that each side protests depending on who is in power. Memory, argue the more seasoned participants, is selective on both sides.
The Numbers Slipping into the Argument
Where figures appear, not all are backed up. One participant claims that 25-30% of evictions in Spain occur in Catalonia, which accounts for 16% of the population. Another recalls that the State closed 2011 with almost 100 billion euros in deficit, to place the outbreak of 15M in its economic context and not in a simple change of cycle. These are the few quantitative anchors in a discussion where slogans are more abundant than data.
New movement or long weekend? Next week, temperatures will drop and a bit of rain is forecast. Historically, protest camps do not withstand water well.
Can a protest camp in Puerta del Sol revive the spirit of the 15M movement under a new banner? That's what was seen in Madrid this past weekend: a demonstration on Saturday at 6:30 PM from Sol towards Congress and a rally on Sunday at 12:00 PM, called by the Madrid Neighborhood Federation and the Tenants' Union. The slogan is no longer 'real democracy now': the flag is now the price of housing and the rejection of urban speculation. Sol, once again, as a showcase.
What is being demanded at the Sol camp?
The focus is the right to housing and halting urban speculation. The protest spans both days and targets the Madrid regional president's office. T-shirts from Rayo Vallecano, Palestinian flags, and left-wing symbols coexist, an amalgam that some interpret as transversality and others as a simple collection of discontent. Some arrive with a very specific demand, while others seek a platform. One current of discourse also drifts towards immigration as a supposed pressure on rent, an argument not accompanied by any figures.
The First 15M Wasn't Against the PP
It's worth refreshing the archives. In May 2011, the PSOE governed Spain: José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was concluding his second term after approving a severe austerity and cuts package in 2010. The movement began a week before the municipal and regional elections on May 22nd, with the PP still in opposition. The protest, therefore, targeted the socialist government, not the one that was about to take office. This is the detail that most bothers those trying to attach the camp to a single political party.
Eight and a Half Years, the Figure Under Discussion
The figure being discussed is the PSOE's time in La Moncloa: almost eight and a half years since June 1st, 2018, according to a calculation circulating in the debate that not all participants share. With that data on the table, the camp is directed at a regional president—the one from Madrid—whose party does not govern Spain. Hence the mutual accusation that each side protests depending on who is in power. Memory, argue the more seasoned participants, is selective on both sides.
The Numbers Slipping into the Argument
Where figures appear, not all are backed up. One participant claims that 25-30% of evictions in Spain occur in Catalonia, which accounts for 16% of the population. Another recalls that the State closed 2011 with almost 100 billion euros in deficit, to place the outbreak of 15M in its economic context and not in a simple change of cycle. These are the few quantitative anchors in a discussion where slogans are more abundant than data.
New movement or long weekend? Next week, temperatures will drop and a bit of rain is forecast. Historically, protest camps do not withstand water well.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (64 replies).
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