Yesterday I posted some photos I took in Lille, France, of the nascent movement of “Indignant Ones” that is spreading from Spain into other European countries.
Today, I’ve been reading more about it (from personal blogs of people involved in it to in depth political analysis from Spanish writers) and I remain skeptical of the whole thing. I wish I wasn’t, especially because some favorite words of mine are constantly thrown around in their rhetoric. Concepts like “direct democracy” or “questioning systems of oppression”, etc. I guess the reason I am not enthusiastic of this new Spanish movement is because I have not seen, up to now, an open, in depth acknowledgement of the ingrained racism and xenophobia in Spanish society. As it is now, this so called revolution seems to be yet another case of middle classes co-opting the language of the working class to reclaim the welfare (and well being) they feel entitled to.
Spain remains (and I have written about this several times before), one of the most xenophobic, structurally racist countries of the EU. A “revolution” that doesn’t seek to question these problems is yet again, a revolution for “some”, one that will continue to cast immigrants and minorities aside. Which is, you know, business as usual.
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