Spanish left counters Ceuta march with rally on same day
Left-wing groups in Spain have called an anti-racism rally at the same time as the Ceuta march, 450 metres away. The clash exposes the economic fracture over immigration.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The left answers the Ceuta march with a protest of its own
The streets of Madrid will once again be the stage for a civil standoff. Sectors of the left have called their supporters to a demonstration "against racism" on the same date and time as the march in support of the people of Ceuta. It is no coincidence: the counter-demonstration will gather about 450 metres from the protest at Puerta del Sol.
The scheduling clash has revived suspicions of orchestration: some claim that the Spanish government's sub-delegates (the central government's representatives in each city) will make sure the rallies coincide to test their strength. There are precedents: the mobilisation in Torrepacheco and, during the DANA (the deadly Valencia floods), a march in support of those accused of looting under the slogan "against racist hoaxes".
There is another, more uncomfortable reading emerging from the debate. The counter-demonstration's "class unity" banner clashes with reality: the big business leaders who defend immigration do not live in the neighbourhoods under migratory pressure. Cheap labour is enjoyed by those who can afford a domestic worker; job competition and the degradation of services fall on those who cannot.
The date coincidence guarantees the image of a country split in two. But the question the calendar cannot resolve is how the costs and benefits of immigration are distributed. There, the analysis stalls.
The streets of Madrid will once again be the stage for a civil standoff. Sectors of the left have called their supporters to a demonstration "against racism" on the same date and time as the march in support of the people of Ceuta. It is no coincidence: the counter-demonstration will gather about 450 metres from the protest at Puerta del Sol.
The scheduling clash has revived suspicions of orchestration: some claim that the Spanish government's sub-delegates (the central government's representatives in each city) will make sure the rallies coincide to test their strength. There are precedents: the mobilisation in Torrepacheco and, during the DANA (the deadly Valencia floods), a march in support of those accused of looting under the slogan "against racist hoaxes".
There is another, more uncomfortable reading emerging from the debate. The counter-demonstration's "class unity" banner clashes with reality: the big business leaders who defend immigration do not live in the neighbourhoods under migratory pressure. Cheap labour is enjoyed by those who can afford a domestic worker; job competition and the degradation of services fall on those who cannot.
The date coincidence guarantees the image of a country split in two. But the question the calendar cannot resolve is how the costs and benefits of immigration are distributed. There, the analysis stalls.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (45 replies).
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