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The European General Strike? 14.11.12

There is a very ominous atmosphere out on the streets.

In typically Spanish style the sky has gone all melodramatic adding to the eerie calm. Bruised purples and greys with sunlit dapples. Very nice. The street prostitutes, dealers and snatchers are still plying their trades. A very sad, lonley and vulnerable Spongebag Bob is surrounded by about 20 expectant riot vans in Sol.

I'm heading towards Neptuno with a small camera. If I can find a bar that knows me to look after my sketches and laptop for the night, I will throw myself into the thick of it. People are expecting shit.
 
Genova:

65372_4845403690261_626664346_n.jpg


Portugal:

378433_2624017697325_1913616667_n.jpg
 
The39thStep said:
Anything happening here or is it just a case of us watching johnny foreigner
Click to expand...

The TUC must be still 'consulting about practicalities'. There was some turnout for solidarity action today in London, with the 28 workers sacked at Crossrail.
 
Delroy Booth said:
"Bring back Franco" poster in spain, nicked off Brian Whelan's twitter. Any spanish speakers care to translate the exact wording for us? Ta
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I saw one of those posters near where I live yesterday, but they are not exactly plentiful. (FWIW, they are massively outnumbered by lefty posters of various sorts.)

These Francoist gentlemen in NPE are what the Spanish call 'four cats' - or what, in English, I'd call three men and a dog. There is a Spanish right that's worth worrying about. It's in government. The various odd fragments of die-hard Francoism, organised in grouplets like the NPE, are of no importance, IMHO.

Incidentally, the translation is not quite as Stanley says. The second part says, 'They [not Franco, but presumably those nasty democrats, social-democrats, trade unionists, liberals and other bad people] have put an end to everything [presumably all those good things left by the dear old caudillo].
 
The demonstration this evening in Madrid was big.

I arrived at Atocha 15 minutes late for the start, thinking that it would probably set off half an hour to an hour late. In fact it had clearly already started though there were still many people at Atocha and there were plenty of other people arriving at the same time. I went along the side of the demonstration all the way to Plaza de Colon and the only thing I can say with certainty about the size of the demonstration is that it was far too big for me to judge with any confidence. Maybe somewhere between 40,000 and 80,000... I don't know. If it is that size, is that very big in the dire circumstances?

In contrast to umpteen demonstrations in London, which are very controlled by Mr Plod, Sr Plod did not make any attempt to surround the large crowd. I just saw various groups of plod parked near the demo and other small groups cuttings off some roads with barriers, for reasons that were not apparent to me.

I have no idea whether the 'surround the Congress' thingy is going well. I have retreated to a nice little jazz bar about half a mile away to drink beer. I hope it does not turn nasty.



On another thread, the following sound predictions were made and I'll repeat them here.


JHE said:
1. The government will say that it is not going to change its policy.
2. Many people will strike on November 14. There will be large demonstrations in many Spanish cities.
3. The Trade Unions will report that there has been a very high level of participation in the strike and claim that the strike must therefore be considered a success.
4. The government and the employers will claim that only about 10% of workers took part and that the whole thing has been a bit of a flop.
5. The strikers will return to work the following day.
6. The government will confirm that it has not changed its policy.

What happens after that? I don't know.
Click to expand...
 
Stanley Edwards said:
Inevitably, there is a lot of 'we didn't have this trouble under Franco'...
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..and when I was in Barcelona, before Franco's death, his statue there had been blown up for the umpteenth time and the whole city centre had been cordoned off, due to a huge march against him and the military's rule.
 
JHE said:
The demonstration this evening in Madrid was big.

I arrived at Atocha 15 minutes late for the start, thinking that it would probably set off half an hour to an hour late. In fact it had clearly already started though there were still many people at Atocha and there were plenty of other people arriving at the same time. I went along the side of the demonstration all the way to Plaza de Colon and the only thing I can say with certainty about the size of the demonstration is that it was far too big for me to judge with any confidence. Maybe somewhere between 40,000 and 80,000... I don't know. If it is that size, is that very big in the dire circumstances?

In contrast to umpteen demonstrations in London, which are very controlled by Mr Plod, Sr Plod did not make any attempt to surround the large crowd. I just saw various groups of plod parked near the demo and other small groups cuttings off some roads with barriers, for reasons that were not apparent to me.

I have no idea whether the 'surround the Congress' thingy is going well. I have retreated to a nice little jazz bar about half a mile away to drink beer. I hope it does not turn nasty.



On another thread, the following sound predictions were made and I'll repeat them here.
1. The government will say that it is not going to change its policy.​
2. Many people will strike on November 14. There will be large demonstrations in many Spanish cities.​
3. The Trade Unions will report that there has been a very high level of participation in the strike and claim that the strike must therefore be considered a success.​
4. The government and the employers will claim that only about 10% of workers took part and that the whole thing has been a bit of a flop.​
5. The strikers will return to work the following day.​
6. The government will confirm that it has not changed its policy.​
​
What happens after that? I don't know.​
Click to expand...

Errr, maybe the capitalist crisis continues unabated , JHE, but the pace and depth of struggle builds year on year. There will probably be setbacks and minor victories, and the struggle widens across all of Europe, and eventually if European capitalism doesn't reach a new growth path (from where ?) there could well be a whole series of revolutionery and reactionery confrontations across Europe , a la the 1930's -- but hopefully not with the same outcome.

I'm afraid it will definitely eventually "turn very nasty",JHE, but not tonight probably. Have a nice drink in the jazz bar, and keep a wary eye out for any of those Muslim types who make you lose so much sleep. I'm sure if you talked to a few you'd find you had much in common vis a vis the capitalist crisis... or even Jazz music.
 
I've retreated back to my hotel.

The main march was well attended and peaceful. Pockets are still around.

Spent most of my time talking to people and asking them "what are you demonstrating about?". Some of the replies annoyed me to the extent I didn't want to be a part of it. People are confused about the causes of current problems. Understandable given the medias bias. But, there is a very strong sense of 'it is not the fault of Spain'. Scapegoats abound even though most will admit governments present and past have been highly corrupt.

There is a big, and growing belief that this is all Merkel's doing. It is a plan to take control of Europe. I will never understand who came up with the seed spreading vapour trail theory and why so many are prepared to believe it. I will never understand this one either.

I suppose, at a push, it is understandable that some will not relent in nationalistic pride. Yet, at the same time they admit that they're being screwed by their own government. Not just a very anti-German vibe amongst some, but a very anti-English vibe also.

Generally peaceful mind. A few pockets of attention seeking idiots just looking for trouble. Small bunch of hardcore Hells Angels there also for some reason :confused:

It is a very mild evening for November (19º C). It will run through the night. I lost my enthusiasm.
 
JHE said:
...

Incidentally, the translation is not quite as Stanley says. The second part says, 'They [not Franco, but presumably those nasty democrats, social-democrats, trade unionists, liberals and other bad people] have put an end to everything [presumably all those good things left by the dear old caudillo].
Click to expand...

Oh. Did I get that wrong. I assumed it was a play on the current march slogan asking for an end to everything.

e2a; Got it now. It is a play on the march slogan. My Spanish improves day by day :)
 
Aye, the strike poster could be translated as "All out!! They want to put an end to everything!"

That fash poster is def a play on it and who the nasty "they" are.

"Vuelva general" is obvs another play on words with "huelga general" and "the" general. "Come back" or maybe "bring back the general!"

Went to the demos earlier n was big, buffer than I was expecting. There's this fucking bollocks way of calculating support via electricity usage falling, apparently this shows the strike on the same level as march but more folk unemplyed now, I'd say it's been bigger def. Lots of older folk gawping n looking amazed too, I didnt want to leave n go to work, but I did.. glad there are peeps out there braver than me anyway. In the end the town I work was pretty fully shut n you can tell it's not business as usual when the young sprogs are all nattering about the strike....

Got a couple of pics to upload.
 
ayatollah said:
Have a nice drink in the jazz bar, and keep a wary eye out for any of those Muslim types who make you lose so much sleep. I'm sure if you talked to a few...
Click to expand...

I've talked to plenty, but not usually in bars, funnily enough.

...you'd find you had much in common vis a vis the capitalist crisis...
Click to expand...

I'm not convinced it's the will of God.

...or even Jazz music.
Click to expand...

We're just ignoring the ones who insist all music is haram, are we?
 
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