Elodie Cuzin reports: "'Indignant' protesters, angered by a biting economic crisis they blame on politicians and bankers, vow to take to the streets worldwide Saturday in a protest spanning 71 nations. It is the first global show of power by the protest, born May 15 when a rally in Madrid's central square of Puerta del Sol sparked a movement that spread nationwide, then to other countries."

Thousands of protesters gathered in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid as well as the main squares in other cities to demand political reforms in Spain, 05/23/11. (photo: Emilio Morenatti/AP)

'Indignant' Protests to Sweep Across World

By Elodie Cuzin, Agence France-Presse

13 October 11

ndignant" protesters, angered by a biting economic crisis they blame on politicians and bankers, vow to take to the streets worldwide Saturday in a protest spanning 71 nations.

It is the first global show of power by the protest, born May 15 when a rally in Madrid's central square of Puerta del Sol sparked a movement that spread nationwide, then to other countries.

As governments cut deep into welfare spending to try to trim huge sovereign debts, protests have grown and this weekend's demonstrations are being organised in Madrid, New York and around the world.

"United in one voice, we will let politicians, and the financial elites they serve, know it is up to us, the people, to decide our future," organisers said in a statement on http://15october.net/.

"We are not goods in the hands of politicians and bankers who do not represent us."

The organisers, relying heavily on Facebook and Twitter, say street protests will be held October 15 in 719 cities across 71 countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Africa.

The protests first took hold in Spain, with a jobless rate of 20.89 percent, rising to 46.1 percent for 16-24 year olds, where activists built ramshackle camps in city squares including Puerta del Sol.

Then they spread to Europe, finding strong backing in crisis-hit countries like Greece, and then worldwide -- last month reaching the centre of global capitalism in Wall Street.

In Madrid, Saturday's protest will end in Puerta del Sol, still the spiritual centre of the overwhelmingly peaceful protests even though the protest camp was dismantled in June.

Three marches will converge on the city's emblematic square of Cibeles at 6pm (1600 GMT) before proceeding to Puerta del Sol for assemblies lasting through the night.

The Occupy Wall Street protest, which started September 17 with a camp of several hundred people in a small square in the New York financial district, has also struck a powerful chord among US media and politicians.

Organisers called a rally in Times Square for 5 pm (2100 GMT), saying they would be at the centre of the international protests.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, predicted Wednesday the Wall Street demonstrations, which bring thousands of people together for marches, would one day spell the downfall of the West.

"This movement will soar to completely mark the downfall of the West and the capitalist regime," he said.

Anger over unemployment and opposition to the financial elite are common themes in the otherwise disparate movement.

But while Spain's protesters have specific demands such as attacking unemployment by cutting working hours and imposing complusory retirement at 65, others are focussed on protesting existing conditions.

The outlook for the "indignants" is not clear.

French economist Thomas Coutrot, co-head of the ATTAC movement seeking alternatives to market-ruled policies, said the indignant movement had a healthy "allergy" to being represented by any person or group.

"But it is true that it is not easy to build a movement without a representative," he added.

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+12 # Capn Canard 2011-10-13 09:52

This is clearly a catastrophic failure of governments around the world to care for their citizens most basic needs: food, shelter, and healthcare. The private sector certainly doesn't want to provide such services as that would decrease costs and thereby decrease private industry's profit margins. It all comes down to money.

+5 # WLawpsh 2011-10-13 10:24

Yes. Money controls the money economy that controls the politicians that write and enforce the laws. But what about the judges? Is it not their job to declare unconstitutiona l and void all laws that conflict with the constitution's intent of Justice, Tranquility, defence, Welfare and Liberty based upon peace with respect for the sovereignty of foreign Nations and Indian tribes; that is, the others in the set of sovereign bodies bound by mutual consent to the commerce, defence and treaty clauses of the American constitution? Long sentence. Sorry.

+4 # DPM 2011-10-13 12:01

I can't be at any of these rallies, but I am donating what money I can, to help sustain the protesters. I hope to join some marches later. We all need to participate physically, at some point in time and spiritually the rest of the time, or we'll never be free.

0 # seniorcitizen 2011-10-15 09:49

Here I am again with more views, because I always am over long and have to cut most of what I want to say. What if we, the 99% carried this movement over to Monday, after this weekend's OWS protest. We can make a "run" on the big banks. Anyone who banks with these mega banks that caused this mess, BofA, Wells fargo, ect., take your savings and checking account money out. Open new accounts in credit unions, community banks and others. Don't let them gamble with our money anymore. It is the common people who have the power to bring them down. Don't depend on Congress. They are bought and paid for by the lobbyists. We are the lobbyists of the 99%. We can make money talk too. We should take the bull by the horns and refuse to finance their gambling streak with our money that is invested in these institutions of greed. Also, don't use their credit cards. If you owe a balance, then start paying it out. Use the loans that the credit unions will give you instead.If eveyone will do this, we can break their hold on the economy.Protest are not enough, action is needed.

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