Spain Unemployment Protests Staged Ahead Of Sunday Elections

More than 1,000 young demonstrators packed Madrid's Puerta de Sol square to vent their anger over Spain's economic crisis and staggering unemployment rate.

As the AFP is reporting, protesters carried placards reading "Make the guilty pay for the crisis," and chanted "They call this democracy but it is not." Organized via Twitter, the "Egyptian-style" demonstrations were staged ahead of Spain's regional and municipal elections Sunday, and as the BBC notes, the atmosphere has been quite festive, with most of the crowd singing songs and playing games while they debate. They are demanding jobs and a fairer system of democracy.

"We are tired of the unemployment, the corruption of politicians. It is always the same thing. I have no job and I don't see how I can get one any time soon," Madrid resident Jordi Perez, 25, is quoted by the AFP as saying. "They have to know how we feel."

Spain's 21.3 percent unemployment rate is reportedly the highest in the EU -- a record 4.9 million are jobless, many of them young people.

View photos of the protests here:

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comments(198)

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Comments

[teecee656]

12:27 PM on 05/26/2011

The problem in Spain is similar to that of Greece. When the EU was formed and the Euro adopted, fiscally conservative countries like Germany, Belgium and Holland, made the Euro a stable and strong currency. Weaker economies in Greece, Spain and Portugal, went on a spending spree and raised their debt ceiling too high as a percentage of their GDP. Now, with the current economic downturn, those overspending countries must impose austerity measures if they are to service their debt and prevent default. After years of living beyond their means, they have to tighten their belts, just as California (the 7th largest economy in the world) must do. Everything from coffee to oil is getting more expensive and both young and old, sick and healthy, and everyone in between is feeling squeezed.

[Passant]

08:11 PM on 05/28/2011

Isn't it just better to increase the productivity of the country, instead of just tightening your belts.

[pedcub]

12:17 PM on 05/25/2011

You do not need to be an expert to guess that there were in the protest thousands of people against the liberal/socialist/progressive Zapatero's policies expressing here in the article "more than a 1,000" is a very poor honor to the reality, but that is the way our press is configured today, always ready to hide the truth when the left is the cause of the problem, our press is going in to the Cuban, China, etc press direction that only will show what the Government wants to shows, those days that the free press were criticizing the government and promoting democracy and good journalism were gone. The honor to the truth in American Journalism isnot a priority anymore, what a shame!

[Joseph Nikolaou]

07:35 PM on 05/23/2011

It's interesting how in America over the last 10 to 15 years, the Mediterreean lifestyle is oh so au courant. Americans travel on vacations to Italy, Spain, Greece, they love the Med lifestyle! Hahahah! Yeah right. Well, there is a price to pay for this lifestyle. You work to live. It is the opposite of the American model. Yet Americans say they love this lifestyle so much. They are so enamored(and jealous of people who know how to live, and arent automatons with no persoanlity or social skills), of people who are able to actually enjoy their lives, every day of the year. These people dont want to waste their lives accumualting wealth, that they may or might not enjoy, later in life due to unforseen circumstances. Live life to its fullest everyday. This isnt possible in America. Then Americans trash them as lazy, at the same time, they say they love their culuture! Hypocrites.

[captainshorty]

04:07 PM on 05/23/2011

Reading some of these comments I have realized how Americans really know nothing about Europe. I lived in Europe for a few years. I'm not saying I know everything but I do understand Europeans a little better. I'm also of Spanish descent and because of that I've read a lot about Spain and payed extra attention when Spain was a topic in history class (which was not a whole lot). It's a different society, the right wing, not just in Spain but all over Europe, is not like the right wing here. Mostly all of them are socialists. What happened with the banks here affected the global economy and Spain was no exception. I suggest to watch "Inside Job".

Also I'm not sure why some of you commenting on Spain leaving Iraq was such a bad thing. They obviously didn't see a reason for being there, and it's not going to make them feel bad for doing so.

(Comment all you want. I probably won't comment back).

[tlynnprice]

10:52 AM on 05/26/2011

I totally agree with you that what happened here and is happening here is and will continue to affect not only our country but other countries as well. In your opinion, will things improve or continue a downward spiral? I am afraid that if/when the US fails there will be world choas like never before. Where do you stand on this?

[korzib]

03:38 PM on 05/23/2011

Also, how long can a country operate with 22% unemployment, 40% youth unemployment before it catches on fire from some radical ideology or collapses into anarchy?

[bluereality909]

09:35 PM on 05/23/2011

I don't know, but I think we will soon find out here in the USA,

[e m dittamore]

05:20 AM on 05/24/2011

yep: and I dare say it might resemble the free for all that were the hall marks of the sixties.
Ya know like tossing bricks through bank windows, rioting at the democratic convention, although we may get to see the reverse this time with the Republicans. and their stance on eviscerating medicare,.
Yeop this could be a very good year,

[korzib]

03:34 PM on 05/23/2011

It is only a matter of time before the EU collapses. So sad that the whole experiment of giving up your sovereignty in return for vague promises of kumbaya has failed.

[Dragonlupin]

04:48 PM on 05/23/2011

The problem was where they tried to give partial control, the result is that no one is really able to control matters.
The Euro is a bad idea because unless they have one government they can't really control inflation/deflation or debt problems.
But even without the Euro the US is having problems, Britain is having problems.
Of course there are countries that are doing just fine now in Europe, Germany and the Scandinavian countries for example.

[korzib]

04:59 PM on 05/23/2011

Agreed completely.

The US is having problems because our political system is completely broken. Our central bank has the leeway to try to cover up for it by printing money (QE, QE2) until the US government gets its affairs in order.

Britain is in the same boat as the US, both in terms of having had a finance and real estate bubble blow up and in having fiscally irresponsible governments. Fortunately their central bank also has leeway on policy and only cares about England and should be able to help them mitigate their problems.

The European states generally don't have this luxury because their central bank's sole mandate is price stability. If they can't get their fiscal houses in order their governments, I don't really know what happens, but I doubt its good.

[hellnomo]

12:21 AM on 05/23/2011

Good Good! Love it when socialists throw off the yolk.

[JoshuaIanLee]

03:27 AM on 05/24/2011

No, I don't think this is a tea party type convention. If anything, they want more goodies from big brother.

[hellnomo]

11:54 AM on 05/24/2011

Yeah, :( You are right.

[thanadar]

04:39 PM on 05/22/2011

Spain's "revolution" will be little more than a big, fun-filled tomato fight.

[bacchus maximus]

06:52 AM on 05/22/2011

Sam Salinitis, you are either drunk, ignorant or both,! Your comments (babble) do not enlighten us of your knowledge of Spain! Please entertain us! Tell us facts! Please! We are waiting!

Are you writing from the States or here in Spain! If from the States where do you get you info! If from Spain, what's you source? The right wing press?

[NJP1]

02:08 PM on 05/21/2011

Spain, Greece, Portugal and numerous other countries have lost the plot that they are living beyond their means, as is most of the western developed world. The 20th century was fuelled by an oil energy bubble that gave us a taste of the high life which we came to regard as ‘normal’, it wasn’t. It was an anomaly, no different to finding a hoard of gold coins and blowing the lot on high living. Which is what we did, our mistake was imagining it to be our infinite future. Oil gave us cheap food, unlimited travel opportunities, medicines that kept us alive, and numerous other benefits that exploded our population to about ten times the sustainable global carrying capacity. Those countries now rioting over jobs are just the first to do so. over the coming decade there will be more. No jobs eventually means no food. Riots throughout the middle east are in protest at hardship which they see as imposed by dictators. In the short term they may be right, but deserts can’t support millions of hungry and thirsty people no matter who is in power. The hot countries of southern Europe have the same problem, a pleasant climate but effectively no infrastructure that can support a viable economy. Riots and protests won’t alter that. There is perhaps an awareness of a very different and unpleasant future.
http://www.yourmedievalfuture.com/

[Joseph Nikolaou]

05:24 PM on 05/23/2011

? The banks were bailed out, but there is no bailouts for schools, for inrastructure, etc? There is plenty of money for these social services, in America, in Europe, etc. The fact is that there isn't any money now, becasue the Treasuries of America, and Western Parlementarian governments are now being looted. Stop the theft. They are stealing public monies, disguised as a make believe debt crises, and then turn around after they have stolen the money; and say oops! we are in debt. Whose in debt? It's a fabricated debt crisis. And on top of it they turn around and offer loans back to these very same nations like Greece, and Portugal at extortionist rates, that they could never pay off. Its like the 25% interest rates credit card companies sucker poor people into; so they will be paying off the loans for the rest of their lives. This is legalized extortion. The bailout loans to Greece, offered by the IMF, are intended to destroy the Greek economy. They know they cant pay back these loans with these huge interest rates; they make money off the interest, and by doing so destroy a civilization.

[ThystCobain]

04:49 AM on 05/21/2011

there were 19.000 people, not just 1.000

[Dragonlupin]

04:49 PM on 05/23/2011

I didn't think that sounded right.

[ThystCobain]

05:21 AM on 05/24/2011

sorry, i didn't get that, ?

[Sam Salinitis]

10:48 PM on 05/20/2011

singing songs and playing games.

proof at how pompous ex-imperialist act in the face of starvation.

spare me.

take a lesson at the real revolutions that inspired latin america......read a history book and
be prepared to fight not sing and dance.

[Australopitenico]

11:39 PM on 05/20/2011

Nope, we don't take up arms against legitimate governments because you might bomb us. We will just elect a new one instead.

[Zigeuner]

03:51 AM on 05/21/2011

No one in the Puerta del Sol is starving, and no one dreams of a centuries-gone imperial past; nobody wants a violent overthrow of the system - just to be heard.
BTW the Spanish Socialist party is Socialist in name only. They renounced Marxism 35 years ago. A bit like how most Republicans would be very surprised at the definition of "republic".
And finally, thanks for the gratuitous insult earlier.

[thadea]

10:13 PM on 05/20/2011

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is a Spanish politician and member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party...

Why is Jordi Perez under the assumption that it is a democracy?

[Sam Salinitis]

10:49 PM on 05/20/2011

that is what happens when hysteria and not common sense prevails.

[FreedomFreedomFreedom]

07:38 PM on 05/23/2011

Socialism and democracy are not mutually exclusive. Jordi Perez is under the assumption that it is a democracy because it is a democracy. You shouldn't comment on things you don't understand.

[thadea]

08:32 PM on 05/24/2011

Neither should you. I guess you also would say that Venezuela is a democracy...lol. How far in the sand do you have your head?

[queenleer]

07:44 PM on 05/20/2011

This article misrepresents the magnitude of what is happening by a figure of 50, unless by "More than 1,000 young demonstrators packed Madrid's Puerta de Sol" it meantto say 28,000 demonstrators of all ages (official police figure) and tens of thousands more all around Spain.

[Sam Salinitis]

10:49 PM on 05/20/2011

then it was 28,000 people singing and playing games?

[ThystCobain]

04:50 AM on 05/21/2011

i don't understand how you dare to speak of what you don't know like that. You have no idea of what's going on, you should be more respectful or keep your thoughts for yourself.

[rda1911]

02:19 PM on 05/20/2011

Wow I wonder how long until Obama (peace be upon him) has to face lazy leeches rioting for more welfare?

[Sam Salinitis]

10:50 PM on 05/20/2011

awesome. true and true. and more so how much of my taxes go to support foreign aid for these revolutionary posers....