SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
"The government wants to deny reality, and that is why we are here," said Javier Garcia, a spokesperson for the March for Dignity. (Photo: AP)
'Food, Dignity, and a Roof': Thousands March Against Austerity in Spanish Capital
Protesters are mobilizing for a general strike ahead of national elections
Mar 22, 2015
A "March for Dignity" drew thousands to the Spanish capital on Saturday in the latest show of mass opposition to the government's harsh austerity policies that have slashed public goods--from education to public health to unemployment assistance.
As they marched through Madrid, protesters carried banners that read, "Food, jobs and a roof with dignity. Walking toward the general strike."
"We have mobilized here for the young people because in Extremadura youth unemployment is almost 60 percent," 28-year-old Antonio Laso, from southwestern Spain, told the Guardian.
"The government wants to deny reality, and that is why we are here," Javier Garcia, a spokesperson for the March for Dignity, toldVICE News.
He said protesters are fighting for "the recovery of some public services related to education and health, to protest against the payment of the debt, which we consider unfair and illegal as it has not been contracted by the people's decision, and to position us against the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), a free commerce treaty between both economic areas that is going to bring more poverty to our country."
The rally, which follows a last year's March for Dignity, is part of escalating mobilizations aimed at building towards a general strike in October--ahead of the national elections.
The demonstration came one day before Andalusia's regional election on Sunday--which many say will be a test of popular support for the left-wing, anti-austerity Podemos party in the lead-up to the general election.
This region is stricken by poverty and joblessness, with more than a third of all people unemployed--a rate higher than the national average of 25 percent.
On January 20th, it begins...
Political revenge. Mass deportations. Project 2025. Unfathomable corruption. Attacks on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Pardons for insurrectionists. An all-out assault on democracy. Republicans in Congress are scrambling to give Trump broad new powers to strip the tax-exempt status of any nonprofit he doesn’t like by declaring it a “terrorist-supporting organization.” Trump has already begun filing lawsuits against news outlets that criticize him. At Common Dreams, we won’t back down, but we must get ready for whatever Trump and his thugs throw at us. Our Year-End campaign is our most important fundraiser of the year. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. By donating today, please help us fight the dangers of a second Trump presidency. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
A "March for Dignity" drew thousands to the Spanish capital on Saturday in the latest show of mass opposition to the government's harsh austerity policies that have slashed public goods--from education to public health to unemployment assistance.
As they marched through Madrid, protesters carried banners that read, "Food, jobs and a roof with dignity. Walking toward the general strike."
"We have mobilized here for the young people because in Extremadura youth unemployment is almost 60 percent," 28-year-old Antonio Laso, from southwestern Spain, told the Guardian.
"The government wants to deny reality, and that is why we are here," Javier Garcia, a spokesperson for the March for Dignity, toldVICE News.
He said protesters are fighting for "the recovery of some public services related to education and health, to protest against the payment of the debt, which we consider unfair and illegal as it has not been contracted by the people's decision, and to position us against the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), a free commerce treaty between both economic areas that is going to bring more poverty to our country."
The rally, which follows a last year's March for Dignity, is part of escalating mobilizations aimed at building towards a general strike in October--ahead of the national elections.
The demonstration came one day before Andalusia's regional election on Sunday--which many say will be a test of popular support for the left-wing, anti-austerity Podemos party in the lead-up to the general election.
This region is stricken by poverty and joblessness, with more than a third of all people unemployed--a rate higher than the national average of 25 percent.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
A "March for Dignity" drew thousands to the Spanish capital on Saturday in the latest show of mass opposition to the government's harsh austerity policies that have slashed public goods--from education to public health to unemployment assistance.
As they marched through Madrid, protesters carried banners that read, "Food, jobs and a roof with dignity. Walking toward the general strike."
"We have mobilized here for the young people because in Extremadura youth unemployment is almost 60 percent," 28-year-old Antonio Laso, from southwestern Spain, told the Guardian.
"The government wants to deny reality, and that is why we are here," Javier Garcia, a spokesperson for the March for Dignity, toldVICE News.
He said protesters are fighting for "the recovery of some public services related to education and health, to protest against the payment of the debt, which we consider unfair and illegal as it has not been contracted by the people's decision, and to position us against the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), a free commerce treaty between both economic areas that is going to bring more poverty to our country."
The rally, which follows a last year's March for Dignity, is part of escalating mobilizations aimed at building towards a general strike in October--ahead of the national elections.
The demonstration came one day before Andalusia's regional election on Sunday--which many say will be a test of popular support for the left-wing, anti-austerity Podemos party in the lead-up to the general election.
This region is stricken by poverty and joblessness, with more than a third of all people unemployed--a rate higher than the national average of 25 percent.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.