Madrid Protests

holystungun9

Too many word? Skip to last two paragraphs.

I've only just seen this video although it is from last week's protest. I'm kind of shocked to be honest. I'm an Irish guy living and working in Madrid and things are going well for me in general. I'm here mostly by choice and due to availability of work. If I went home I don't think I'd have much luck getting work. For now I'm happy to continue on here.
In contrast to my position, there are many Spanish people who have, for example, done their best, got a degree or qualification and have been unemployed since the day they left education. I can't really imagine how I would feel if I got my degree and five years later I'm still on the dole. An option is to do one of those 'internships' which is work for little to no money in exchange for experience (in theory at least). I acknowledge that internships or work experience can have a use but there is a line somewhere on that spectrum where it just becomes abuse. Each case varies I suppose.

In the video there are many protesters and therefore a mix of people in and from different situations in life. As I said, I'm not in a situation where I've been getting frustrated, pi55ed off with life and at times boiling with rage but some of the behaviour of the protesters here has left me speechless.
Yes, it's video. Yes, they are clips and you don't see the exact before and after of each incident.

I have seen many comments on Boards with 'when are we going to take to the streets, get rid of the politicians, stand up for ourselves, etc., kind of thing but I don't think there will ever be scenes in Ireland like the ones in the video.

I'm curious to hear some opinions on the video. Will most people say, yeah screw the police and the system and let's have a say in whatever way we can whether it's throwing stones, smashing windows or whatever.
Or will many go for the, they are just scumbags and thugs in the video.
Would this even happen in Ireland? Would it? Should it?

For me, I just couldn't justify that kind of violence against the police force. Maybe rage and mob mentality just preys on those who are most downtrodden, I don't know. But with that many violent protestors, odds are that someone is throwing a brick at a police officer who is their neighbour, uncle, brother's friend etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWTnN0EEUhI

Mint Aero

Sure why not. People have been doing it for centuries when oppressed in various forms. Did you think this current generation just changed overnight?

My name is URL

Only an idiot would agree that violence against police (or anyone else for that matter) is a legitimate form of protest in this day and age.

P. Breathnach

My name is URL wrote: »

Only an idiot would agree that violence against police (or anyone else for that matter) is a legitimate form of protest in this day and age.

Agreed.

But there is no shortage of idiots.

Fox_In_Socks

My name is URL wrote: »

Only an idiot would agree that violence against police (or anyone else for that matter) is a legitimate form of protest in this day and age.

I agree.

The dirty protest is where it's at.

tomwaterford

My name is URL wrote: »

Only an idiot would agree that violence against police (or anyone else for that matter) is a legitimate form of protest in this day and age.

not if the police start it

ToxicPaddy

The majority of those attacking the police are not protestors. They are just thugs who are looking for an excuse the cause mayhem.

A legitimate protestor goes out to try and air a grievance and get their message across not to vandalise a building or try and maim or kill someone by firing masonary at them.

biko

My name is URL wrote: »

Only an idiot would agree....

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Agreed.

Fox_In_Socks wrote: »

I agree.

Stop agreeing

Wulfie

Fair play to them. If the protesters could properly organise themselves and restrain and detain the police. They could do some proper damage . Not that that might solve any thing at all.

Egg the dail .

Wibbs

ToxicPaddy wrote: »

The majority of those attacking the police are not protestors. They are just thugs who are looking for an excuse the cause mayhem.

A legitimate protestor goes out to try and air a grievance and get their message across not to vandalise a building or try and maim or kill someone by firing masonary at them.

+1000. TBH the cops are showing way too much restraint, I'd be pulling a full on baton charge on some of those pricks. In this case well deserved.

harney

Wibbs wrote: »

+1000. TBH the cops are showing way too much restraint, I'd be pulling a full on baton charge on some of those pricks. In this case well deserved.

First off, I haven't set the video yet, so may regret this. Secondly, those that serve in a capacity such as police, medical, etc do not deserve violence directed at them.


Having sais that, in fairness the Spanish police were more famed for dragging people out of their houses in the middle of the night and dumping the body somewhere, than bothering with batons.....unless the people were handcuffed first.

On my mobile, but here is at least one link from Google on how the authorities behave in Spain.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/spain-blocks-argentinian-attempts-to-prosecute-franco-era-fascists/5355214


It doesn't help that the monarchy are all over the news on corruption allegations

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26094035

Political corruption is rife over there, and people are pissed. I hope it ends well, but it is not looking good.

Legs.Eleven

OP, I live in Madrid too.


Hand on heart, the vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaast majority of protestors are nothing like this in the slightest. There were 100s of 1000s of people there last week and these absolute numpties were only a tiny percentage of those that were there.


It's turns my stomach to think that this is the impression people get from the Spanish demonstrations when they are, by and large, very civilised and peaceful affairs. They usually involve people of all ages walking from one point to another in the city and nothing else...then these fcukwits come along and ruin everything (they didn't appear until after I left when I reached the end point).


That video was taken from El Diario, an online leftist news source, so the left would also be critical of this lot too including most protestors. They're a bunch of scumbags looking for trouble and they have fcuk all to do with what most people are marching for.

The protests are, if nothing else, cathartic for the people you've described in your OP but these images sell papers and online advertising but are not the whole story. It's a real pity it's presented in this way though.

Stavros Murphy

Wibbs wrote: »

+1000. TBH the cops are showing way too much restraint, I'd be pulling a full on baton charge on some of those pricks. In this case well deserved.

Watching that video, I reckon the Police were less concerned with pulling a full-on baton charge than avoiding a 6" lump of concrete full into the face. They didn't seem to be getting the upper hand at all. Fact is, faced with a baying mob and stuff flying from every direction - the bits you don't see coming are the ones that do the damage - I'd say they were just in survival mode.

I'm not a fan of these sort of riots, I reckon they are just a charter for cnuts to run amok, but, having seen the way even our own Gardai are very quick(unbelievably quick as it happens) to go all hittey, I'm not vastly surprised. Happily, most of these protesters have the brains of a small invertebrate. "Lets bang the window of the van with a piece of wood". Harsher souls would have it over on its side and on fire in a heartbeat.

The Government must be grateful that harsher souls are usually too busy working for a living, leaving the rioting to the goldfish. How is smashing peoples windows and property in any way a "protest"?

KyussBishop

Interesting post relating to this, from a site I keep up with - gives an interesting historical/economic/political perspective, to the protests and general situation in Spain:
http://www.ideaeconomics.org/blog/2014/3/28/report-from-spain