Democracia Real Ya: Five Reasons to Take The Streets

The following was translated from Democracia Real Ya (Real Democracy Now) Barcelona, a Spanish protest movement that helped inspire #OWS. While some things are specific to Spain/Europe, they echo our reasons for taking the streets on the May 1st General Strike here in North America and beyond. For more about Democracia Real Ya and the upcoming #12M15 global days of action in English and other languages, see here.

We will take to the streets on May 12th in a creative, nonviolent popular demonstration to continue working toward a May 15th in defense of the people!

On May 15th, 2011, millions began a process of social change, delivering a clear and unequivocal signal that we are not commodities in the hands of politicians and bankers, and stating publicly that our current representative democracy is dying. The political class and the powerful have not gotten the message. Despite the growing protests and cries of distress from the 99%, these elites are exploiting the crisis to plunder the common wealth and endangering the lives of the people.

Capitalism has decided to cancel democracy and bankers now rule us. Clearly, this 1% of the population is legalized crime in power. The party system lead us to this disaster and now the 99% must take the reins of our own destiny. We demand a new constitutional power to regain the sovereignty that belongs to us. Therefore, this 12th and 15th of May, after a year of unanswered protest, we will return to the streets with a majority calling for a consumer strike and urging more legitimate demands and protests everywhere.

Some of us have organized and are building alternatives and solutions with our own hands, but in the face of repression and blockades imposed on us by the state, who are jeopardizing the integrity of the people with inhumane measures, we are forced to demand our basic needs for survival. Thus, in order to ensure the 99%'s right to exist, we demand:

1. Not one more euro to rescue banks. We demand a citizens' debt audit. We will not pay illegitimate debt created by those who caused the crisis.

2. Free and quality education and health care. Do not cut public spending or privatize public services.

3. Fair distribution of labor, living wages, and an end to precarious labor. No retirement at 67 and withdrawal of the Labor Reform.

4. Guaranteed right of access to decent housing. Retroactive foreclosure foregiveness. Social rental housing. Promotion of housing cooperatives.

5. Tax reform that allows a fair distribution of the wealth we collectively produce. Universal basic income for all people.