The voice of the people will never be illegal — This is the first sign you see on the way to Puerta del Sol... a reference, I think, to the proclamation that all protests had to shut down on Saturday
Spain is filled with half-completed construction projects these days, it seems, perhaps owing to the banking-fraud-fueled boom and subsequent crisis. Activists are using the scaffolding to their advantage...Scaffolding signs 1IMG_1430IMG_1432Scaffolding signs 3IMG_1434Capitalism goes on — The irony of this very anarchist, anti-capitalist flavored protest area was that it's in the middle of Madrid's bustling downtown. While some stores had closed down, many shops, like this upscale clothing boutique, were carrying on as if nothing was happening.
Of course the restaurants and fast food places made a killing. We're tired of protesting, where's the McDonalds??Ambient media, assembleIMG_1444Vmetro entrance — While entering or exiting the metro was carefully left unblocked, they were all decorated ...yes we camp - hashtags — There were lots of signs with Twitter handles or hashtags or Facebook pages to follow -- this one lists all the different "camps" set up in cities across Spainapplause — with the scaffolding backdropMore reading post-its — grandmothers, young people, everyone in the streetsPeople reading each other's thoughts on the crisis — this was one of the most heartwarming things to me, everyone actually taking time to understand other opinions, even radical onesred post-its — a wall of theseAnother geek metaphorScaffolding — There happened to be some reconstruction stalled -- as there is everywhere in Spain these days due to the securities-fueled boom in construction and subsequent crisis
The activists have made good use of itneuvos guerrilemos — This sign was really selling shoes (play on words of Zapatista, of course)Plants — Someone has planted a garden around this fountain, now lost amid a sea of tentsMap — To my surprise there was even a map of different areas with different functions. This was replicated all over the place -- sometimes hand-drawnInside the tented area — It was surprisingly well organizedWho's leading who nowChange — Irony!Chuck Norris wants democracyThe primary activity — reading all the messages plastered on every surface. It really was like a mutual education / discussion, conducted through the town squareError de sistema — Geek metaphors for "changing the system" abounded. This was one of the most elaborate postersLaw enforcement — There were about eight or nine police vans guarding the government buildings. There were others nearby in other plazas, either ready to go in or seal off areas of the city, as far as I could tell.Volunteer cleanup crews — Most had armbands that say "RESPET" (Respect)IMG_1501Now or never
