Fw: [Squares] BARCELONA #15M Newsletter nr 32

[marknbarrett at googlemail.com]

FYI 
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Hello from Barcelona,

this is the weekly newsletter that will inform you about the activities of
15M movement in Barcelona, Catalonia and occasionally the main events in
Spain. If you do not wish to receive it anymore, please say so.


*1. Park Guell is not for sale
2. The violent evicion of Catalunya sq. lawsuit reopens
3. #AcampadaBankia saves lives
4. Agora 99 overflow Europe to reinvent democracy*



*1. PARK GÜELL IS NOT FOR SALE*

The *DEFEND THE PARK GÜELL PLATFORM (Defensem Park Güell)* was first
introduced to the public on Saturday October 27, 2012. Among other demands,
it wants to keep the access to the park's historic area free of charge for
non-Barcelona resident visitors as it has always been, in opposition to the
city council's proposal to implement an entrance fee of a minimum of €5 per
person starting in 2013.

Several dozen people took active part in the presentation where the
Platform's statement of principles was read, having received the support of
some 30 associations and a large number individuals from all over Barcelona
and 15 cities around the world. Some 18,596 signatures protesting the
park's closure have already been submitted to the city government.

*What the city council proposes*
After approving the proposal for closing the park, the council began to
work on preparing a "legal study on the distinction between a resident of
Barcelona and a tourist", in order to determine who should pay to enter and
who should not have to pay. In July the city council declared that the
entrance fee would cost a minimum of €5 per person starting in the fall,
although it has now delayed the plan to start charging until early 2013,
waiting until after the Catalan regional elections.

*Local opposition*
In February 2011, the Coalition of Associations for the defense of the Park
Güell mobilized against the closure of the park when the city council built
fences over 2 meters high around more than 14 hectares (34 acres) belonging
to the park. Seven months later, in September, local associations and
committees from the districts surrounding the Park Güell together with the
FAVB (Barcelona's Federation of Neighborhood Associations) put out a joint
eight-point statement in which their priorities for the future of park were
presented.

*The battle to ensure that the Park Güell stays open and free continues*
The *DEFEND THE PARK GÜELL PLATFORM* continues to fight to secure free
public access to the entire park under equal conditions for all, and asks
for support from people or groups anywhere in the world, given that the
Barcelona city council gave orders to alter the landscape by performing
works to change its elements and features in order to extract a profit from
a world heritage site by discriminating between the residents of Barcelona
and those who are not, despite questions about the legality of its actions.

The *Platform* expects to receive more adherences and demonstrations of
support from individuals and associations from around the world once people
know of their battle, and even UNESCO is expected to take a position
regarding this alteration on such an important public, and artistic, space.
Park Güell must continue being open for us all.

*LINKS*

*Defensem Park Güell* web site: http://defensemparkguell.wordpress.com/
 [CAT]
How to help: http://bit.ly/SPVMqY [CAT]
The Park Guell entrance fee [ARTICLE]: http://bit.ly/LnseLd [EN]
The Defensem Park Güell platform ask for free entrance to the Park [VIDEO
NEWS]: http://bit.ly/U4VASo [CAT]
Mobilitations against the closure of Park Guell [VIDEO NEWS]:
http://bit.ly/LnseLd [CAT]

*Facebook page*: http://www.facebook.com/plataformapark.guell
*Twitter*: @defparkguell #ParkGuell
*Mail address*: defensemparkguell at gmail.com


*2. THE VIOLENT EVICTION OF CATALUNYA SQUARE'S LAWSUIT REOPENS*

On Friday November 2nd a decision of Barcelona's Court became public
knowledge: It ordered to reopen the trial for the doings of *May 27, 2011
(known as 27M*) when the Mossos (the infamous Catalan police) violently
evicted Plaça Catalunya's 15M occupation in Barcelona. The case had been
filed in March by the examining magistrate Maria Josep Miquel Porres. (NL
#3, 2 http://bit.ly/UffqKl )

The Court has taken this decision *because an audit realized there had
been no good reason to refuse and file the complaints*, presented jointly
by 104 people against police officiers and politicians for their
responsability in personal injuries and subtraction of personal items.

During last year the Ombudsman, Amnesty International, the Coordinator for
the Prevention of Torture, Barcelona's Federation of Neighborhood
Associations and even the European Committee against Torture expressed
concern about the methods used by the Mossos, and also surprise about the
quick closing of the case without taking into account the complaint without
even going through the proofs of the disproportionate executions.

The reopening of the case is good news. Now it is the justice system's duty
to show that it is still working to respect the law and to protect the
population. And to find and punish those who are guilty of brutality.

*LINKS*

Collective lawsuite website: http://som27m.wordpress.com
Photogallery: http://bit.ly/s2HWb3

*Articles:*
Spanish police clash with protesters over clean-up: http://bit.ly/ls4KVH
 [EN]
The court of Barcelona reopens the lawsuit on Plaça Catalunya's Eviction:
http://bit.ly/TYw94s [CAT]
"Generate panic or we won't get them out of here," said Inspector Manuel
Hermida on May 27: http://bit.ly/z1xPBr [CAT]
Police free of charge for the 27M 2011 in Barcelona: NL #3, 2
http://bit.ly/UffqKl [EN]
Police free of charge for the 27M 2011 in Barcelona (part II, lawsuit):
NL#4, 2 http://bit.ly/LT0ZO1 [EN]


*3. #ACAMPADABANKIA SAVES LIVES*

Since late October support brigades are occupying different bank branches
in Spain in order to negotiate directly with those responsible for the
evictions and to address the specific cases that have led several people to
suicide in the last month.

The ongoing occupation located in Celenque square, Madrid, in front of the
Bankia headquarters, is known online as *#acampadaBankia*. Despite the
harsh climate and lack of specific answers dozens of people take turns to
pressure the bank and incidentally collect signatures for support. They
demand collective claims that come from the Platform of People Affected by
Mortgage [ NL19,4 http://bit.ly/Opj1Je] Teuten, a Dutch chronicler living
in Madrid, described the situation as "There's a big bank that has been
bailed out here and nationalised. This Bank continues to evict people every
day, while millions of appartments are empty as a result of speculation.
Today, the president of this bank receives a prize, here in the Madrid
casino. The people outside want their houses back."

Not only Bankia has been under siege these days. Also Banesto, BBVA, Caixa
Catalunya, Caja España... It's spreading everywhere. Cities like
Valladolid, Barcelona, Tenerife or Terrassa among others have supported the
action and have joined with further occupations. Therefore they are *demanding
to introduce assignments in payment when a home is foreclosed, to stop
evictions and to create a network of social rent*. In some cases activists
have managed to temporarily stop evictions, whereas in others cases it has
been possible to meet agreement on assignments in payment. However the huge
number of evictions thoughout Spain, estimated 500 per day, means that this
tremendous work by support brigades is only a tiny help compared to the
amount of people evicted.

In the last weeks there have been *several suicides among citizens affected
by the mortgage*. In most cases it was seniors, only minutes before being
evicted from the home where they had lived a whole family life. The drama
of eviction is increasing the idea that the government and banks are allies
of these crimes, surely an attitude indictable to the international courts
as crimes against humanity.

*LINKS*

*Articles*
Bankia will go down: http://bitly.com/RxidjD [EN]
A dozen people continue occupying a bank in Valladolid: http://bit.ly/PhkroV
 [SP]
Zwangsräumungen Stoppen: http://bit.ly/O5uxYv [DE]
*Wiki*
http://wiki.15m.cc/wiki/AcampadaBankia
*Streaming*
#acampadaBankia 24h: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/enlace33
*Website*
PAH http://afectadosporlahipoteca.wordpress.com/
*Photos*
Madrid by @Fotogracción: http://bit.ly/TRlZm9
Tenerife: http://bitly.com/UqW6zZ
Barcelona: http://bitly.com/XpzYGL
Valladolid: http://bit.ly/S4HqQJ
Alicante: http://bit.ly/RoIiSg
Gran Canaria: http://bitly.com/Q1OFxH
*Videos*
#AcampadaBankia streaming by @djvjgrrl 1 http://bit.ly/QwDIUP / 2
http://bit.ly/SLy0up / 3 http://bit.ly/TARVgn [EN]
How the Spainish Fought Foreclosures: http://youtu.be/bxNpTrllKc0 [EN]
Call out: http://youtu.be/JuMwDoFL1dI [SP]
Barcelona eviction: http://youtu.be/1boOBv3Yhy4 [CAT]
Censored video by TV3: http://bit.ly/R9FXdP [CAT]

*Twitter*
@acampadaBankia @LA_PAH @PAH_Trs HT #AcampadaBankia #rodeaBankia
#asfixiaBankia #BoicotCX #LiquidaBankia #okupaBBVA


*4. AGORA 99 OVERFLOWS EUROPE TO REINVENT DEMOCRACY*

Hundreds of activists from different social movements, coming from more
than 20 countries from Europe and other continents, gathered in Madrid
during the weekend of November 1st to 4th. They came for the
*Agora99%* grassroots
meeting, to work and find shared agreements on three axes: *debt, democracy
and rights*. Agora99%'s clear objective was to find a common plan,
coordinating actions and strategies against the shock politic imposed by UE.

The 20 workshops, distributed into these 3 axes, and the numerous
assemblies took place in different squats and self-managed social centres
around the city. It was a very intensive meeting that gave good results,
showing the urgence of a European constitutional process following the
destitutional process already taking place.

The workshops discussed about: *civilian disobedience; direct democracy;
basic income in Europe; housing rights; net-democracy and distributed
democracy; waters and commons; justice in time of crisis; university,
knowledge and debt*, among others.
Almost all the workshops, assemblies and talks were streamed by
peoplewitness streamers (http://peoplewitness.wordpress.com/ ) and
tomalatele (http://www.tomalatele.tv/web/ ) having hundreds of followers
watching and interacting during the broadcasts. The videos are still
on-line in agora99's website (http://99agora.net/on-line/ )

Saturday afternoon the 3 axes tried to prepare specific proposals to share
at the Sunday general and conclusive assembly. Not an easy job indeed.
However, global calls, proposals, strategies and actions are already
starting to take shape.

Finally on Sunday the General Assembly took place in the famous Sol square
during 6 hours, where the 3 participating axis shared their conclusions,
even if no final decision had been taken.

All the multicultural groups are still working at this very moment on
shared documents and local assemblies to carry forward the revolution.

*LINKS*

Agora 99 website: http://99agora.net
Streamings: http://99agora.net/on-line/
*Squats hosting Agora99* (Map: http://99agora.net/maps-mapas )
La escalera karakola: http://www.sindominio.net/karakola/ [SP]
Traficantes de sueños: http://www.traficantes.net/ [SP]
La Morada: http://csoalamorada.wordpress.com/ [SP]
Eko: http://eslaeko.net/ [SP]
Patio Maravillas: http://patiomaravillas.net/ [SP]
Ecologistas en acción: http://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/rubrique7.html
 [SP]
Consensus on debt axis: http://bit.ly/SyAiwR [EN]
Photogallery by Doriz Gutiérrez: http://bit.ly/TvdZGZ
*Articles*:
Madrid: Dreams Becoming Reality http://bit.ly/TzbmpV [EN]
Agora 99: steps to think, participate and reinitiate democracy:
http://bit.ly/PJsxXH [SP]
Barcelona debates Blockupy´s next steps: Agora 99 : NL#27, 2
http://bit.ly/OIPdCi [EN]
*Twitter*: @99_agora HT #Agora99 #A99Assembly #A99Debt #A99Rights
#A99Democracy


-- 
*[ICBcn] International Comission Barcelona*
www.acampadabcninternacional.wordpress.com
http://takethesquare.net/
http://www.yeswecamp.net/
http://peoplewitness.wordpress.com/
http://www.scoop.it/t/the-marches-to-brussels
http://www.walktobrussels.eu/
http://www.marchtoathens.tk/
http://ontheroadoperation.net/

Twitter
@acampadabcn_int

Facebook
[ICBcn] International Comission Barcelona
https://www.facebook.com/pages/ICBcn-International-Comission-Barcelona/176892639073895
International Comission
https://www.facebook.com/groups/194396380616508/
15M: Marcha Bruselas
https://www.facebook.com/15mMarchaBruselas/
March to Athens
https://www.facebook.com/marchtoathens

Streaming
http://bambuser.com/channel/acampadabcn_int
http://www.livestream.com/ICBcn
http://www.livestream.com/peoplewitness


Sent from phone

-----Original Message-----
From: Comi Inter <comisiointernacional at gmail.com>
Sender: squares-bounces at lists.takethesquare.net
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:20:30 
To: <squares at lists.takethesquare.net>
Reply-To: squares at lists.takethesquare.net
Subject: [Squares] BARCELONA #15M Newsletter nr 32

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