General Strike in Spain
imc uk | 20.06.2002 14:24 | Workers' Movements
A very successful general strike has taken place in the Spanish State on Thursday, June 20th. One day before, a general strike brought the Basque country to a standstill. Watch this space for updates.
Thursday 20th BREAKING NEWS here
In Barcelona, loud and colourful demonstrations started at midnight, the railway line to the airport was sabotaged, roads are barricaded. All over the country there are blockades and demonstrations.
Participation in the strike is massive. Especially the bigger factories and the public service sector are standing still. The government, on the one hand, tries to claim that participation is low, on the other hand it tries to break the strike by force. In several cities police have attacked strike posts, leaving many people injured, some of them in serious condition. There are reports of particularly heavy attacks in Madrid and Vigo.
The general strike has been called in protest against new neoliberal labour laws which the Spanish conservative government has tried to implement regardless of massive opposition. The workers are supported by migrants protesting new restrictive laws against migrants and foreigners, and by students opposing new university legislation. Moreover, the strike is part of the protests against the EU summit taking place in Seville this weekend, where much of the same restrictive and neoliberal legislation will be decided on for the whole of Europe.
On Wednesday June 19th, a general strike took place in the Basque country. Reports suggest it was very successful, with most businesses and public services in the province of Bizkaia and Guipuzkoa completely closed down, and with 60 per cent participation in the province of Navarra. No newspapers appeared, there was hardly any radio or television, and most industry and traffic stood still. There were reports of "mobile strike posts" roaming the streets and convincing small businesses to shut down for the day. There were burning barricades in Bilbao and a number of confrontations with police. In the Basque country particularly, the strike against the neoliberal labour laws has become a strike against the Spanish government and its policies regarding the Basque country.
Thursday 20th BREAKING NEWS:
23:30pm - Barcelona: Job center entrance partially bricked up.
23:15pm - Barcelona: Picture and translations in english of news bits.
Demonstrations: [Pics1] [Pics2] [Pics3] and a picture from the not so peaceful evening.
21:46pm - Madrid: More than 100 people were arrested at today's events. They are send to court as emergency cases. Around 100 people are gathered outside the court at Plaza Castillo to support them.
21:00pm - Seville: Report of massive police ID searches, used to block access to information points and to the Communication and Press Center of Social Forum Seville.
20:00pm - Valencia: 60.000 people are taking part in the unions demonstration, according to Radio Klara.
18:30pm - Madrid: 10.000 people taking part in the demonstration called by the anarchosyndicalist unions and the social movements.
Evening - Malaga: Report and analysis from the streets of Malaga by Alan Woods (editor of "In Defence of Marxism").
Pictures: [Pics1] [Pics2].
18:00pm - Madrid - Up to 500.000 people are taking part in the unions demonstrations.Meanwhile other streets in the capital are deserted
16:00pm - Berlin: A concentration of around 50 people gathered in front of the Spanish embassy in a solidarity action for those on strike and on the streets in Spain.
14:50pm - Barcelona: The strike is generalised in the city. Public transport (tube and buses) have come to a complete stand still, shops closed and few cars circulate in the streets of downtown. The atmosphere is very peaceful. Watch video
13:10pm - Barcelona: Police have arrested activists from the anarchosyndicalist unioin CGT. It seems that those arrested are being taken to the police headquarters in Via Layetana.
13:00pm - Seville: Trade unions demonstration
[Pics1] [Pics2] [Pics3].
12:35pm - Madrid: The Pickets Coordination committe informs that around 84% of the metallurgic and construction sector is following the strike. Workers in big companies have also stopped en mass although the stoppages are less numerous in small companies and shops. Pictures of Madrid on strike.
12:00pm - A Coruna (Galicia): Hundreds of people take part in a demonstration called by the anarchosyndicalist unions CGT and CNT.
11:35pm - Madrid: Riot police has attacked a picket line in Avenida de America just in front of the UGT union's headquarters. Police broke into the building beating anyone there, including UGT's general secretary Candido Mendez.
Morning - Barcelona: 3.000 people made an unsuccesful attempt to occupy Barcelona's stock exchange.
8:00am - Barcelona: Pickets have been set up in many industrial and commercial areas all over the city. Large groups of strikers are moving through downtown Barcelona spreading information about the general strike.
2:05am - Madrid: A large picket has been moving through the streets and squares of downtown Madrid, closing bars and restaurants. One of the pickets has been arrested for 'redecorating' a McDonalds "restaurant".
12:00am - Barcelona: The strike has been followed by 100% at the central center of food distribution and supply Mercabarna. The market has not opened at all. Watch video.
In Barcelona, loud and colourful demonstrations started at midnight, the railway line to the airport was sabotaged, roads are barricaded. All over the country there are blockades and demonstrations.
Participation in the strike is massive. Especially the bigger factories and the public service sector are standing still. The government, on the one hand, tries to claim that participation is low, on the other hand it tries to break the strike by force. In several cities police have attacked strike posts, leaving many people injured, some of them in serious condition. There are reports of particularly heavy attacks in Madrid and Vigo.
The general strike has been called in protest against new neoliberal labour laws which the Spanish conservative government has tried to implement regardless of massive opposition. The workers are supported by migrants protesting new restrictive laws against migrants and foreigners, and by students opposing new university legislation. Moreover, the strike is part of the protests against the EU summit taking place in Seville this weekend, where much of the same restrictive and neoliberal legislation will be decided on for the whole of Europe.
On Wednesday June 19th, a general strike took place in the Basque country. Reports suggest it was very successful, with most businesses and public services in the province of Bizkaia and Guipuzkoa completely closed down, and with 60 per cent participation in the province of Navarra. No newspapers appeared, there was hardly any radio or television, and most industry and traffic stood still. There were reports of "mobile strike posts" roaming the streets and convincing small businesses to shut down for the day. There were burning barricades in Bilbao and a number of confrontations with police. In the Basque country particularly, the strike against the neoliberal labour laws has become a strike against the Spanish government and its policies regarding the Basque country.
Thursday 20th BREAKING NEWS:
23:30pm - Barcelona: Job center entrance partially bricked up.
23:15pm - Barcelona: Picture and translations in english of news bits.
Demonstrations: [Pics1] [Pics2] [Pics3] and a picture from the not so peaceful evening.
21:46pm - Madrid: More than 100 people were arrested at today's events. They are send to court as emergency cases. Around 100 people are gathered outside the court at Plaza Castillo to support them.
21:00pm - Seville: Report of massive police ID searches, used to block access to information points and to the Communication and Press Center of Social Forum Seville.
20:00pm - Valencia: 60.000 people are taking part in the unions demonstration, according to Radio Klara.
18:30pm - Madrid: 10.000 people taking part in the demonstration called by the anarchosyndicalist unions and the social movements.
Evening - Malaga: Report and analysis from the streets of Malaga by Alan Woods (editor of "In Defence of Marxism").
Pictures: [Pics1] [Pics2].
18:00pm - Madrid - Up to 500.000 people are taking part in the unions demonstrations.Meanwhile other streets in the capital are deserted
16:00pm - Berlin: A concentration of around 50 people gathered in front of the Spanish embassy in a solidarity action for those on strike and on the streets in Spain.
14:50pm - Barcelona: The strike is generalised in the city. Public transport (tube and buses) have come to a complete stand still, shops closed and few cars circulate in the streets of downtown. The atmosphere is very peaceful. Watch video
13:10pm - Barcelona: Police have arrested activists from the anarchosyndicalist unioin CGT. It seems that those arrested are being taken to the police headquarters in Via Layetana.
13:00pm - Seville: Trade unions demonstration
[Pics1] [Pics2] [Pics3].
12:35pm - Madrid: The Pickets Coordination committe informs that around 84% of the metallurgic and construction sector is following the strike. Workers in big companies have also stopped en mass although the stoppages are less numerous in small companies and shops. Pictures of Madrid on strike.
12:00pm - A Coruna (Galicia): Hundreds of people take part in a demonstration called by the anarchosyndicalist unions CGT and CNT.
11:35pm - Madrid: Riot police has attacked a picket line in Avenida de America just in front of the UGT union's headquarters. Police broke into the building beating anyone there, including UGT's general secretary Candido Mendez.
Morning - Barcelona: 3.000 people made an unsuccesful attempt to occupy Barcelona's stock exchange.
8:00am - Barcelona: Pickets have been set up in many industrial and commercial areas all over the city. Large groups of strikers are moving through downtown Barcelona spreading information about the general strike.
2:05am - Madrid: A large picket has been moving through the streets and squares of downtown Madrid, closing bars and restaurants. One of the pickets has been arrested for 'redecorating' a McDonalds "restaurant".
12:00am - Barcelona: The strike has been followed by 100% at the central center of food distribution and supply Mercabarna. The market has not opened at all. Watch video.
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