Spanish democracy protests hit Manchester
Article published: Thursday, May 26th 2011
As spontaneous protests against the political and economic system spread across Spain, the Spanish community in Manchester have begun holding regular rallies in Piccadilly Gardens and are calling on all those opposing the cuts to join them.
The next protest rally will take place on Friday 27 May at 7pm by the Queen Victoria Statue. The rallies are organised by a newly formed group called Real Democracy Manchester, taking its name from the organisation Real Democracy Now, which called the first of the protests which have rocked Spain over the past ten days.
The protests began on Sunday 15 May when real Democracy Now, a previously unknown group, called for people to take to the streets and occupy the squares of major cities in the run up to local elections. Promoted through social networking sites, the protests have strongly criticised the banking industry for its role in the economic crisis, and called for an end to public spending cuts and greater democratisation of the political system. The response was overwhelming, with hundreds of thousands turning out in cities across Spain, defying bans on protests put in place by the authorities.
Spokespeople for the Real Democracy Manchester said: “In Manchester we have got together because we want a new participative democracy which gives priority to the people, and not to the economic and political powers. We are worried about the high levels of corruption, unemployment rate, destruction of the welfare state, and lack of control on banks and financial institutions.”
The first of the protests in Manchester was held on Friday 20 May, and since then they have taken place almost every evening.
The problems which have drawn the protests in Spain, they say, are the same as those facing people in the UK, “our main goal is to help spread this peaceful citizen revolt to other countries in Europe. Its uniqueness lies in the diversity of the people who have for the first time overcome their differences and got together.”
For more information see:
http://realdemocracymanchester.blogspot.com/
And for the Facebook event for Friday’s Assembly: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=228895683791568
More: Manchester
Comments
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Brilliant
Comment by G on May 26, 2011 at 4:20 pm
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