[View the story "Spain's 'Indignados' surround parliament" on Storify ]Spain's 'Indignados' surround parliament Madrid's #25S protesters continue to struggle after violent clashes. Storified by The Stream · Wed, Sep 26 2012 13:05:06
Shocking PROTEST IN MADRID: Thousands Clash with Police over Government Policy (austerity measures)edricle
The protested austerity measures will be announced Thursday as part of the 2013 budget. In an
interview with the Wall Street Journal, Rajoy said that he was uncertain if Spain would pursue a Eurozone bailout, but that under certain conditions it would be entirely possible.
Protesters who call themselves Indignados or Indignants claim that the austerity measures are a symptom of larger problems in Spain's democracy. Activist group Occupy Congress
called for the protesters to surround the Parliament building in Madrid on Tuesday.
The Sept. 25 will surround the Congress of Deputies to rescue a kidnapping that has made this institution a superfluous organ. A kidnapping of popular sovereignty held by the Troika and financial markets and executed with the consent and cooperation of most political partiesDemocracy is kidnapped. The 25S going to rescue her. | Coordinator # 25s
The video below, in Spanish, asked Spaniards to "arrive in Madrid in bulk from all parts of Spain" on September 25 and linked to a Facebook
event for the protests.
Ocupa el congreso 25 septiembrerevolucin2012
The hashtag #25s, standing for the date of the Madrid protest, trended globally Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, reaching over 70,000 mentions at its peak.
TrendsmapAJstream
TrendsmapAJstream
Netizens used Twitter to share images of insipiration and solidarity for the austerity protests, which have spread across the Eurozone.
#volvemos26s: expression of solidarity with protests in Spain in Portuguese, Greek & Italian: #25s http://pic.twitter.com/ctk9sJfpDavid Ferreira
Twitter user @kurioso calls the image below "the best snapshot of #25s".
La mejor instantánea del #25S http://pic.twitter.com/gUNzAErH vía @nopacsnofamePepo Jiménez
Others drew comparisons between Spanish debt and debt faced in other European countries, like Italy. The tweet below asks, "Does this remind you of anything? Madrid, Spain vs. Italy".
#intervistiamoli : vi ricorda qualcosa? #25S #Madrid #Spagna Vs. #Italia http://pic.twitter.com/OBQl7Ckistefano dossi
Other images from the demonstration depicted violent clashes between protesters and police forces. The image below reads "Police brutality at #25s Enough!!!".
Brutalidad policial el #25S Basta ya!!! http://pic.twitter.com/Xx7vspQ0DefensaDeMadrid
Twitter user Paloma Barrios claimed that "discrete secret police infiltrated the demonstration on # 25S carrying red flags", labeling the tweet with #PoliceViolence.
Los DISCRETOS policías secretas infiltrados en la manifestación del #25S portaban banderas rojas. #ViolenciaPolicial http://pic.twitter.com/hWuQgcdXPaloma Barrios
Twitter user
Dani Roy , who labels himself as an #Indignado tweeted the picture below, saying "Of all the slaves, the most cowardly protects the master. I could not sleep at night".
De todos los esclavos, el más cobarde es el que defiende al amo. Yo no podría dormir por las noches. #volvemos26s http://pic.twitter.com/4NlCn726Dani Røy ® - #25S
Citizen journalist
Tim Pool shared the following footage. Police surround two demonstrators 34 seconds into the clip.
Police attack protesters in Madrid S25timcasts
Other footage outside the building focused on the same two protesters shows them bloodied and on the ground.
Man is severely injured by Spanish Police in #Madrid protest, face covered in blood #25S #S25 #MadridNoEstáSola http://youtu.be/qP0pgijL3tITim Pool
Man is severely injured by Spanish Police in Madrid protest #S25 #25Stimcasts
Twitter user
Luis Jaqui shared: "Here is a picture that is already circulating, Spanish brother brutally beaten by Spanish cops".
Aquí una foto que ya circula sobre el hermano español brutalmente golpeado por los pacos españoles #25S http://pic.twitter.com/61UN5Df8Luis Jaqui
Given the bloody confrontations, some netizens questioned the nature of the Occupy Congress protests. One account asks, "Is this the pacifism that the 25S supporters boast?? This method never solved a problem."
¿Este pacifismo del que hacen gala los que apoyan el 25S?? de ese modo jamás se solucionó un problema. http://pic.twitter.com/Z0xmXl5oGONZALO #Esoll
Video captured protesters moving police barriers as security forces fired what demonstrators say were rubber bullets.
25S crónica 2 25 septiembre 2012juanravideonews
In the video above, a restaurant owner pleads with the clashing forces outside his establishment. CNN
captioned a photo of the owner as "a restaurant owner...shouts at demonstrators to stop throwing stones at his business".
Here's a screenshot of the caption:
CNN.comAJstream
Netizens tweeted a different picture saying: "The bar owner protects protesters from UIP [anti-riot police unit] pigs".
Del #25S me quedo con esta imagen: El propietario de un bar protege a los manifestantes de los cerdos de las UIP http://pic.twitter.com/RIGU3kKEPablo
Some activists responded to the allegations of violence, asking Indignados to keep strong and #volvemos26s, or "come back September 26". The
coordination account for the #25s protests tweeted "We regret that the focus on violent scenes means that the reasons that took us to the streets are being overshadowed."
"Lamentamos que el foco en escenas violentas deje de lado la cuestión de fondo que nos sacó a la calle". http://bit.ly/NQM8nK #volvemos26sCoordinadora25S
"We made it clear that mobilization # 25S was not violent and that's what we propose: nonviolent civil disobedience # volvemos26s".
RP:"Dejamos claro que movilización #25S era no violenta y eso es lo que seguimos proponiendo:desobediencia civil no violenta"#volvemos26sCoordinadora25S
Protesters pledged to remain in Neptuno square until the Spanish government responds to their greivances. Supporters have been using aerial images of the #25S crowd to rally support for #volvemos26s.
Spanish protest continues today in Madrid at 19:00 #volvemos26s #25s http://twitpic.com/ayd4hdOccupy Wall Street
Twitter user Victor Arrogante summed up his thoughts with the following tweet: "And the people stand".
Y el pueblo se puso en pie. #25S http://pic.twitter.com/sbZvcKPiVictor Arrogante
