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BARCELONA 15M Newsletter n.6: 27-03-2012

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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 #29M GENERAL STRIKE: A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

As  we announced last week, a workers’ strike has been called for March  29th by the main trade unions to protest against the Job Reform.

The 15M movement has decided to support the strike, if not the unions  themselves, and to make it some sort of a rehearsal for 12M-15M.  Therefore, we are setting up 4 medialabs – information hubs in Barcelona  city, where citizen journalists can turn up to rest, report, dharge  their phone and cam batteries, in some cases even shower. But he main  idea of these hubs is to show the reality of the #29M strike, not just  what mainstream media want to make us believe. The main system shall be:

#Agencia29,  a mashup of independent radios, TVs, activism websites, newspapers,  mags, online and in print that have alleady worked together during the  last General Strike in Spain. Their idea is to cover the real activity  in the streets, in people’s homes, in firms where strikes are almost  forbidden… and joining efforts to make a more powerfull and versatile  communication team. They shall be receiving information online and by a  phone number anyone can use to report actions and repression during the  day, and they shall be broadcasting online and through two radio signals  (91.4 and 104.5 FM in Barcelona)
Their website is http://agencia29.net/.

Peoplewitness, the #15M BCN  project of citizen journalism, is going to have its great day on  Thursday! There have been many workshops in Barcelona city and nearby to  expand the idea of livestreaming demonstrations, talks, workshops and  any interesting action, and on Thursday the “legion of Little Brothers”  are going to show a more human perspective of the strike. Many meetigns  have been held to coordinate and plan strategies, they shall be  constantly in touch with the medialabs and shall be giving and receiving  feedback. Their livestream broadcast will be organized and complemented  with tickers of breaking news in Spanish and Catalan  here: http://www.livestream.com/peoplewitness and in English and Spanish here: http://www.livestream.com/ICBcn  (these shall be 2 different live studios, one by the Communication team  and one by the International commission, though permanently in touch  during the whole day)

The #15M BCN 2.0 team  will also have a communication hub to keep a constant eye on what is  going on in Barcelona and ither cities, inform through Twitter and  Facebook, and sharing feedback with the two #15M livestream  studios all  day long.

Blog for the General Strike from a 15M point of view – the strike of the 99%: http://vagadel99.wordpress.com
Crowdmap to follow and report new actions 24/7: https://vaga29m.crowdmap.com/
Mashup of independent media for the strike: http://agencia29.net/
Peoplewitness project: http://peoplewitness.wordpress.com/
Note on the alternative communication strategy in Barcelona during the strike: http://www.acampadadebarcelona.org/index.php/es/acampadabcn/item/643-la-vulneraci%C3%B3-de-drets-en-els-cies-i-els-controls-didentificaci%C3%B3-sota-criteris-racials-a-debat-al-col%C2%B7legi-dadvocats-de-barcelona

2 CAMPAIGN TO CLOSE THE ALIEN INTERNMENT CENTRES (CIEs)

Barcelona’s Campaign to close the Alien Internment Centers in Spain has had a busy week. The announced symposium (March 23rd and 24th) was a great success, with really interesting speakersfrom several national and international Human Rights Associations, such as the Italian lawyer Ivonne Panfilo from the Legal Team Association and Donne, diritti e giustizia Roma or Frances Weber from the Institute for Race Relations. Most of the main activist groups for migrant rights gathered in this symposium, which seemed, in the words of an attendee, “a crash course on why and how to end with the CIEs”.
The symposium will become a booklet, as many people expressed their interest in having a published or PDF version of such interesting information.

On Saturday 24th there was a concentration to read communications, prepare banners and talk to the media about those “local Guantanamos”. At 6 pm the #24ManiCIErre demonstration set off with over 300 people, immigrants and local, marching together in a festive mood because we are positive we shall close the CIEs, and only becoming somber when talking about the cruel reality behind those prision-like walls.

The Campaign’s blog: http://tanquemelscies.blogspot.com.es/
Storify of the symposium in tweets: 

Video of the demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG5w9IaFfuM&feature=youtu.be
Storify; Part of the twitter reaction to the demonstration http://storify.com/okokitsme/24manicierre
Website of the Campaign to Prevent Torture: http://www.prevenciontortura.org/
Collection of further videos and links of the demonstration: http://tanquemelscies.blogspot.com.es/2012/03/manifestacion-por-el-cierre.html

3 BARCELONA’S TOWN HALL IS CLEANING THE STREETS OF CITY

During these last weeks the local police keep fining people who sleep on the streets. It is quite an absurd situation, as usally who lives and sleeps on the streets has no other place to go, and surely no economic resources. Of course the symphatetic administration is ready to withdraw the fine… if the homeless are members of the RAPH (Assistence Network of Homeless People). It would be also interesting to see how the administration deals with chasing the insolvent tramps!
At the same time, there is the proposal to ban all street prostitution, starting from next summer. Until now it was punished just in case of monopolizing a public space, if the negotiation happens next to a school or if the sexual act was consummated in the street. The fine – from 300 to 3000 € – will be applied to both prostitutes and clients. Several organizatiosn -for women’s rights, migrants’ rights, neighbourhood activists…- are against this ban, as it seems a cosmetic and overlly moral act, penalizing and estigmatizing a certain area of the population, as high-end prostitution is not being chased.

http://www.foropolicia.es/foros/multan-a-los-indigentes-para-dormir-en-la-calle-t86478.html
http://www.eljueves.es/2012/01/18/gilipollas_semana_ayuntamiento_barcelona.html
http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/telediario/ayuntamiento-barcelona-quiere-prohibir-prostitucion-calles-partir-este-verano/1355465/
http://ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2012/03/21/catalunya/1332327832_021335.html

4. AUREASOCIAL, BASIC NEEDS COVERED FOR THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE

AureaSocial is a long-term space opened to projects based, mainly, on healthcare and education.

It is also a meeting point for any kind of social projects that share the same principles about being a public service to every person, even if they don’t have enough economic resources.
It’s a place for social transformation, to offer quality public services that should rely on the state, but people are realizing that it’s time to take it in their own hands to ensure it’s quality.
Moreover, this is an open space for the social movements to hold meetings, assemblies, workshops and many other activities inside, as long as they are also related to the contents of the project and use the same methodology.

The center , a three-story building with many equipments and new installations located near “Sagrada Familia”, had some issues with the bank’s pressure on the owner, but finally it will remain free for one more year thanks to the lawyers participating in the process. There’s a crowdfunding campaign and different cooperatives helping with resources to support expenses.

Last week a presentation was made as starting point, about the story of the project and the possibilities it brings to the community. Many people were already participating in the activities, and now many more are coming every day to take a look and share the services.

http://www.aureasocial.org/
https://twitter.com/AureaSocial
https://www.facebook.com/AureaSocial
https://www.rebelaos.net/
http://www.verkami.com/projects/1612-aureasocial-espai-autogestionat-per-la-salut-i-l-educacio

5  STUDENT SPRING: THE STUDENTS IN BARCELONA DO NOT GIVE UP

This has been a week of occupation, assemblies and protest for the UAB (Autonomous University of Barcelona). Last week the budget cuts were approved, but students, professors and all the University’s workers reject them.
On Monday the Aula Magna of the Communication Sciences faculty was occupied to protest against the 66% increase of the registration fees and budget cuts, while demanding also more rights for the students, reforming the syllabus, the end of dismissals, a permanent space for students’ assemblies and so on.
On Tuesday it was still occupied and more than 700 people joined in assembly, paralizing the classes.
The declared objective of the occupation and the subsequent assemblies (of politics, philosophy and liberal arts) is to make students and workers aware of the situation, spetially those still skeptic about the protest and claims.
A call has be done to occupy the faculties this Monday and Tuesday.
At this very moment the University is occupied.

http://goo.gl/zgrZU (occupation chart- work in progess)
http://assembleacomunicaciouab.wordpress.com/
twitter :  @uniprecaria @Primavera_BCN
Hashtag #uabinsubmissa #primaverauab #vagaestudiantil #vagaunivers #vullunfutur #FCCocupacio

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[ICBcn] International Comission Barcelona
www.acampadabcninternacional.wordpress.com

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