Huff Post - ALAN CLENDENNING, AP, 9/25/12
MADRID — Spain's government was hit hard by the country's financial crisis on multiple fronts Tuesday as protestors enraged with austerity cutbacks and tax hikes clashed with police near Parliament, a separatist-minded region set elections seen as an independence referendum and the nation's high borrowing costs rose again
Police guard the entrance of the Spanish parliament in Madrid, Tuesday Sept. 25, 2012, before some thousands of people are expected to converge on the Spanish Parliament to protest and to demand fresh elections. (AP Photo/Paul White)
More than 1,000 riot police blocked off access to the Parliament building in the heart of Madrid, forcing most protesters to crowd nearby avenues and shutting down traffic at the height of the evening rush hour.
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Comments
Actually, watching it all
Actually, watching it all live, rage would not be the word I'd use. They were peaceful for hours, even when police tried to create chaos they simlpy sit down and lift hands. THe first riot happened by an interesting group bearing red flags that suddenly appeared and tried to start a fight with police, they were twice stopped by the same protesters that yelled at them to sit down and do not engage. As soon as the lady turned they engadeg with police again and then some chaos started happening. They were definetely not part of the "regular protesters", as the were singing, holding hands, talking to convince police stop the real criminals. Also saw the spanish news live as it was happening, and it ttok only 5 min for them to completely change the story to a violent protest showing police officers beating up protesters to protect themselves. Nothing even close to the truth as live one could perfectly see each time the police started to jump over the crowd. It gave me goosebumps to see the protesters sit down, raise hands and stay close as One for so many hours without any reaction but talking. Sure enough when the beating started many run away. Still it was a peaceful protest from their end.
Thank you!
Thanks for the information, Andrea. This is a great example of how the media can distort events.
Yes Thank you for poiting the
Yes Thank you for poiting the reality of it out Andrea !
Definitely NOT Part of the Regular Protesters
Indeed, these agitators in the crowd who instigate the police, are not there to support the protest at all. They are in fact planted there deliberately --sometimes employed by the very police force themselves-- with the sole purpose of provoking others into illegal acts, essentially to discredit the protest as a whole. There is in fact a name for these types, they are called "agent provocateurs" from the French meaning "inciting agents" and they are out there deliberately stirring up trouble more often than people realize and are being paid to do it. Sometimes it is done to produce the sensational type of television footage that they will naturally air on mainstream news, and sometimes it is done to create mistrust and division amongst the general viewers over the value of the public demonstration. The best one can do when participating in a mass protest is to be aware of this ploy being used and to steer clear of anyone who is looking for a fight. Be vigilant -- don't be surprised and caught off guard -- anticipate that not everyone in the crowd is there with the same agenda in mind and act accordingly.