Around 25,000 protesters have defied a government ban and remained overnight in a square in Madrid, with a similar situation occurring in many cities across Spain.
The protesters are angry with the government’s economic policies and are demanding changes to the electoral system and a ‘real democracy’, an end to corruption, controls over banks, changes to fiscal policy and a solution to high youth unemployment amongst other things.
Spain’s electoral commission ruled that demonstrations on May 21st (Day of Reflection) and May 22nd (Election Day) were illegal and had ordered the protesters to leave, but as the ban came into effect at midnight, the crowds started cheering and police did not move in.
The protest began six days ago in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol as a spontaneous sit-in by young Spaniards frustrated at 45% youth unemployment. Parallels are already being drawn with the spring protests in many Arab countries.
Amongst other things, the protesters want to see a fairer electoral system to end the monopoly by the two major political parties, the PSOE and PP, and end to corruption and politicians convicted of or involved in corruption to be barred from standing for election, controls introduced in the banking sector, financial policy for the benefit of the people and not controlled by outside interests, a solution to unemployment and an end to the erosion of the welfare state.
The protests have been entirely peaceful.