Spain: what did the 15-M "outraged" achieve?
With a large demonstration on 15 May 2011 and a protest camp on Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square in the weeks that followed, the 15-M movement was born in Spain ten years ago. Using grassroots democracy and plenty of creativity, the "outraged" (indignados) fought for social justice and against austerity measures, corruption and democratic deficits.
At the end of the money I have too much month
Nothing has improved since then, author Elisa Beni laments in eldiario.es:
“Some of the slogans from back then reflected anger and are just as relevant today: 'Violence is earning 600 euros a month'. 'There's not enough food for so many corrupt pigs.' 'At the end of the money I have too much month.' 'Hands up, this is an employment contract.' 'This is not a crisis, it's the system.' - 'If you don't let us dream, we won't let you sleep.' What has become of what we loudly demanded ten years ago? Nothing, the situation is the same, if not more grim.”
Results are positive indeed
The protest clearly made its mark, El Periódico de Catalunya summarises:
“Among other things, it led to the end of the two-party system, enforced the election of candidates within the parties and determined the topics of the political agenda. In the meantime, resolutions were passed, such as the one on basic security, which was unimaginable at the time. It was difficult to predict the influence that would be exerted by the young people who besieged the squares at that time and wanted to reboot the system, to renew it from below. It is only with the benefit of hindsight that one realises that they have left clear traces in the past decade.”