15MBcn Newsletter N.3 – March 05

Hello from Barcelona,

this is the weekly newsletter that will inform you about the activities of 15M movement in Barcelona, Catalonia and occasionally the main events in Spain. If you do not wish to receive it anymore, please say so.

1.WORKERS AND STUDENTS DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF THE WMC THE 27-28-29F
The beginning of this week has been very ¨hot¨ in Barcelona. Even if the Public transport strike was cancelled, workers and students keep protesting. On the 27th workers of Telefonica (the biggest telecomunication company in Spain) and HP were protesting against the discharges, as the 2 corporations fired people using the alibi of crisis although they had big profits during the last year. In fact, what they are going to do is hire new “low cost” workers. On the 28th schools, universities and hospitals were occupied for a night.
On the 29th  there was a very big demostration with 70.000 people, called by the university students. They cut streets and sat in Plaza de Espaya, the WMC (World Mobile Congress) scenario.  A few riots happened, with violent police attacks: 12 arrested and some injured.
The evening of the 29th the students of UB Barcelona occupied their rectorate. At the end of the day of protest, the hall of the ancient palace in the center of Barcelona was full of students having a General Assembly, discussing through the direct democracy methodology about their future, the future of education, the political and global situation. General Assemblies have been livestreamed by #peoplewitness. You can watch them at [LINK].They agreed on leaving the occupation Saturday night.

http://bambuser.com/v/2418239 (ENG)
http://bit.ly/zcOoMu (interview to a student -ESP/ENG)
http://atutmbetretallen.wordpress.com/
http://g.co/maps/tq3rz (map of the occupations)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L30-5kg_YCk&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x88xawrg8-Y

2. POLICE FREE OF CHARGE FOR THE 27M 2011 IN BARCELONA
The police and their responsibles who beat the encamped in Plaza Catalunya have been declared innocent by Spanish justice.
The video and the pictures of what happened last year in Plaza Catalunya went around the world. The police violence was out of range and totally injustified. A lot of actions were taken by the population and the attorneys of the movement. Riot police and their heads were accused, proofs and evidences were shown, but, even against the common sense, they were not charged at all.
System protects its  guard-dogs. Sometimes against laws and rules which are hipotetically accepted by everyone in a “democracy”
The affected are not giving up and they will appeal, as a proper investigation will be done and those responsable shall pay for using force and violence against peacefull citizens by the side of who – theorically – has to protect citizens.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44GGG8KN05o
http://www.acampadadebarcelona.org/index.php/ca/acampadabcn/item/614-per-una-investigació-rigorosa-dels-fets-del-27-m-no-a-la-impunitat-policial

3. THE CITIZEN PLATFORM CALLED “BANKING FRAUD” ANNOUNCES 300,000 ARE AFFECTED IN CATALONIA BY THE “PREFENCE SHARE”, AND ALMOST ONE MILLION IN SPAIN.
In the market there are three issues of “preference shares” by La Caixa bank, dating from 1999, 2000 and 2009. The financial group has proposed to its customers and the owners of these assets their conversion into other products with higher liquidity and more favorable conditions.
The period of La Caixa’s repurchase offer ​​to the holders of “preference shares” is one month, and on 25th january the agency had got the 87.16% (144,500 people). Holders accepted these financial instruments with the ratio proposed by the entity.
Preference shares are debt issues without a defined period. The bank pays a return according to their results and can even give nothing.
La Caixa has sold among their clients ‘preference shares” for a 4,898 million euros. Most savers are older people, with a conservative profile and they thought hired a safe product, something like a deposit.
There are many cases of customers who do not know what they have contracted, they found unpleasant surprises like having to wait for decades before they can recover the money, and even centuries depending on cases.
Links:
http://www.economiadigital.es/es/notices/2012/01/la_caixa_canjea_un_87_de_sus_preferentes_una_semana_antes_del_plazo_26171.php
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2012/02/01/economia/1328114469.html
http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1327380/0/afectados-productos-bancarios/manifestacion/madrid-barcelona-espana/

4. #SEVARMARLAGORDA: A CALL OUT TO PARTICIPATE DURING FIVE DAYS IN CELEBRATING WOMEN DAY
Women, trans and lesbians, without parties, trade-unions or flags are celebrating this week in Barcelona the feminist days, without asking for permission, in order to show their bodies, their struggles, their sexuality and their capacity of taking action, putting in common knowledges and practices of collective management. On the 7th they will meet at 8.30 pm for a night demonstration called “la noche es nuestra” (“the night is ours”), on the 8th there is a street-theater scheduled, on the 10th a night party to close the celebrations.

http://vimeo.com/37871650
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdOW7ev4D8U
http://acampadadebarcelona.org/index.php/es/acampadabcn/item/615-este-año-de-nuevo-#sevarmarlagorda-jornadas-de-acción-feminista-autónoma-del-4-al-22-de-marzo-de-2012

5. RURALES ENREDADAS (RE) IS A PROJECT WICH PROPOSES NOT TO FIGHT AGAINST THE SYSTEM, BUT TO CREATE A NEW (OLD) ONE
RE is a group of people created originally from the 15-M movement, from many different
places, which has joined initiatives in order to connect rural alternatives throughout the country and, in this way, contribute to build bridges between rural and urban environments, and cooperate to build together a more balanced relationship.
RE are people, cooperatives, initiatives, asociations, networks, workgroups, discussion groups…ready to know each other and to share and build together a live rural world.
WHEN YOU HAVE CUT DOWN THE LAST TREE, POLLUTED THE LAST RIVER AND
CAUGHT THE LAST FISH, YOU WILL REALIZE MONEY CANNOT BE EATEN.
Follow them at:
Blog: Rurales enredadxs <http://ruralesenredadxs.org/>
N-1:<https://n-1.cc/pg/groups/182664/rurales-enredadxs/>
Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/groups/277310748977112/?ref=ts>