Anti-austerity movement in Spain

The anti-austerity movement in Spain was a large group of protests and social actions that started in 2011. The movement was a response to high unemployment, government spending cuts, and political corruption during and after the global financial crisis of 2008. It included a wide range of people—especially young people—who were upset with the political and economic system in Spain. The protests became known as the 15M Movement or Indignados Movement, and later led to the rise of new political parties and changes in Spanish politics.

Between 2008 and 2014, Spain faced a serious economic crisis. By early 2011, unemployment had reached about 21.3%, with youth unemployment at around 43.5%, the highest in Europe at the time. In response to the crisis, the Spanish government made changes to labour laws and raised the retirement age from 65 to 67. These changes were very unpopular with many workers and trade unions. On 29 September 2010, unions organized a general strike to protest the reforms.

In February 2011, the Spanish Parliament passed the Sinde law, which gave the government the power to shut down websites that allowed illegal downloads. This led to an online protest campaign under the slogan #nolesvotes (“don’t vote for them”), calling people not to vote for the main political parties that supported the law.

In early 2011, many small protest groups began to form. On 7 April 2011, around 5,000 students marched in Madrid under the name Juventud Sin Futuro (“Youth Without a Future”). These early actions helped build the movement that would grow much larger in May. The Spanish protests were inspired by similar movements in Portugal and North Africa (especially the Arab Spring).

Protesters used creative ways to resist the government and survive the economic crisis. They created community gardens, rented empty land, shared homes, and built cooperatives. Some areas were declared “police-free zones” where local communities worked together without government help.

The most important part of the anti-austerity movement began on 15 May 2011. Protesters filled city squares across Spain, especially in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and Barcelona’s Plaça de Catalunya. The movement became known as the 15M Movement (15 de Mayo) or Los Indignados (“the outraged”).

The protesters demanded better jobs, public services, and democracy. They were against corruption, bank bailouts, big companies, and the two-party political system (represented by PSOE and PP). They organized peaceful sit-ins, marches, and public meetings.

The 15M protests lasted for several months, from May to August 2011, and had a strong influence on public debate in Spain.

The movement continued into 2012. On 29 September 2012, thousands of people protested in Madrid and Lisbon. They were angry about government spending cuts, tax increases, and fewer welfare services. Protesters surrounded the Spanish Parliament building, and some clashed with police. More than 60 people were hurt, and many were arrested.

In 2014 and 2015, the Spanish government passed new laws to control protests. One of these was called the Citizens’ Security Law, also known as the “gag law”. It made it harder for people to protest in public without getting fined.

In response, protesters used new tactics, like a hologram protest in 2015. Instead of real people, they projected holograms of protesters onto government buildings to avoid breaking the law.

The movement also had a big impact on politics. In 2014, a new left-wing party called Podemos was created. It was inspired by the 15M movement and the Greek party SYRIZA. Podemos quickly gained support from people who were tired of the traditional political system.

The anti-austerity movement in Spain showed how many people were upset with economic inequality, youth unemployment, and lack of trust in politics. It led to new laws, new political parties, and a new way of protesting that used social media, technology, and nonviolent action. Even though the protests are no longer as strong, the ideas from the movement still influence Spanish politics today.