Puerta del Sol, Madrid.
On May 15th Barcelona and Madrid were plunged into dissent as the Spanish population voiced their objections against the reigning government, ruled by a unrepresentative two-party system, and protesting for basic human rights and fair economic policy which the current political class have failed to address. Designated 15-M, the movement began with an initially youthful crowd organised through social media networks and the ¡Democracia Real YA!, or ‘Real Democracy NOW!’, group. However on May 17th 15-M transcended social and cultural boundaries, with peoples deriving from a diverse range of ages and backgrounds becoming involved. Since then it has exploded into protests across Spain in 58 cities, however despite this Spanish politicians have somewhat disparaged the protests, labelling them as ‘leftist’ or ‘just students’ in an effort to diminish their significance; a notion that has been somewhat absorbed by international media. The next few weeks will prove crucial to the movement; however its non-party political orientation may prove to be a disadvantage without any significant governmental support.
