Spaniards Furious over EU Imposed Reforms. Vow to Fight!

Spaniards fight back against reforms

Government’s fiscal and social initiatives are met with anger

Protesters throw stones at the police in central Barcelona during a general strike in Spain March 29, 2012. REUTERS/Gustau Nacarino

1. The political coalition “Izquierda Unida,” or United Left, began an online campaign called “Our cuts will be with a #Guillotine.”  The campaign is an answer to the austerity measures and their way of expressing their dissatisfaction with their system of governance and the monarchy, which they say does not represent them. The campaign’s aim is to create a “Third Republic with more rights and more democracy.” 
   
   
   
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   Frente a los mercados #IIIRepública y #Guillotina http://pic.twitter.com/f1YZgRrn

   Standing up to the markets #ThirdRepublic and #Guillotine
   
   
3. Youth and university groups representative of the movement tweeted out the following images, which feature and define articles of the Second Republic’s constitution and compare them to today’s laws and practices in Spain. 
4. For example, the image below defines the first article of the Second Republic’s constitution as saying “Spain is a democratic Republic of all types of workers, which organises itself through liberty and justice.”  The 2012 reality is “Labour reform and cuts to social and civil liberties.” 
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   #Guillotina Contra la reforma laboral y los recortes de derechos sociales y civiles #IIIRepública http://pic.twitter.com/F0OUC5Ew

    #Guillotine Against labour reform and cuts to social and civil liberties.
   
   
6. The following image describes how Article 48 of the Second Republic stipulates that education will be secular. In 2012, however, the state finances religious education and allows the presence of the Catholic Church’s teachings in public schools. 
7. #Guillotina En defensa de la enseñanza de calidad. La educación a la escuela, la religión a la iglesia #IIIRepública http://pic.twitter.com/78wWDsqV

    #Guillotine In defense of a quality education. Education to schools, religion to churches. #ThirdRepublic
   
   
8. Others joined in on the online conversation with the hashtag #Guillotin
   
   
9. A los que votaron PP y ahora lloran por lo que se está aprobando. #guillotina

    To those who voted for PP (Spain’s Popular Party, which is conservative) and are now crying for what has been approved #Guillotine
   
   
10. “

    ¿Recortes sociales, malestar general, ausencia de soberanía, borboneos? Tenemos la solución: #Guillotina. Nuestra experiencia nos avala

    Social cuts, general discomfort, absence of sovereignty? We have the solution: #Guillotine. We are backed by experience. 
    
    
11. The top image features a headline from the Spanish newspaper “El Pais” that reads: “[Prime Minister] Rajoy announces cuts of 10 billion to Health and Education.” The second headline, from the website Publico, reads: The Church receives 10 billion a year from the treasury. 
12. 
    Rajoy, a tí sí que te vamos a dar nosotras recortes… #Guillotina @Acontracorrent http://pic.twitter.com/TEuSddJn

    Rajoy, we will definitely give you cutbacks. (Mariano Rajoy is the current Prime Minister of Spain and is part of the People’s Party).  
13. “
    Y llevamos 5 meses de legislatura. Quedan 3 años y medio… #guilloti
    We’re 5 months into this term. There’s 3 years and a half left…#guillotine
    
    
14. The following tweets allude to the recent proposal by Spain’s Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz to criminalise calls for violence on social networks (which spurred the hashtags #HelloDictatorship and #IAmACriminal) that disturb the public peace. 
15. “
    Que la #guillotina sea violencia, pero que condenar a generaciones enteras a la misera y precariedad no lo sea #GrandesMentirasDeLaHumanidad
    That the #guillotine is violence, but condemning entire generations to misery and deprivation is not is one of #HumanitysGreatLies
    
    
16. “
    Convertir en TT el hastag #Guillotina no incita violencia. Cobrar dinero x cada noche ingresado en un hospital SI ES INCITAR A LA VIOLENCIA

    Making the hashtag a trending topic does not incite violence. Charging money for each night spent at a hospital DOES INCITE VIOLENCE.
17. Spaniards have been using the hashtag #HolaDictadura or, “Hello Dictatorship,” to criticise the country’s Popular Party, current reforms and proposals of laws they say infringe on their rights. 
    
    
18. “
    .@PPopular #populares una cosa es tener una supuesta Mayoria Absoluta(28% de C. electoral) y otra cosa es abusar de ella #holadictadura

    . The Popular Party #popular One thing is having a supposed absolute majority (28% of electoral) and another thing is abusing of it. #HelloDictatorship
    
    
19. “
    “Esta primavera vuelven los 70″ –¿En la ropa y complementos? –No no, en el código penal #holadictadura

     “This spring the ’70s are back” –”In clothes and accessories?”–No, in the penal code. #HelloDictatorship
    
    
20. 

    #HolaDictadura A los tenebrosos tiempos del Imperio regresado hemos! http://pic.twitter.com/4tKiwhxr

    In the words of Dark Yoda: To sinister times the Empire has gone back! (The image reads, “Come on over to the dark side” next to the Popular Party logo.)
    
    
21. “
    Hay que darle gracias al gobierno por recordarnos que somos mucho mas peligrosos tomando plazas que rompiendo cosas #holadictadura

      Let’s give thanks to the government for reminding us that we are much more dangerous taking to the streets than breaking things #HelloDictatorship
    
    
22. “
    Si la resistencia pasiva a la autoridad es considerada atentado, pues habrá resistencia activa porque cuesta lo mismo. #HolaDictadura

    If passive resistance to authority is considered an attempt, then there will be active resistance because they cost the same. #HelloDictatorship
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    A partir de ya, si no llamas “AMADO LÍDER” a Rajoy, eres ETA #HolaDictadura http://twitpic.com/98h58s

    By now, if you don’t call Rajoy “BELOVED LEADER,” you are ETA ( Basque separatist group) 
    
    
24. The hashtag #SoyCriminal or, “I’m a criminal,” also trended when news broke of the Interior Minister’s proposal to criminalise calls to protest. 
25. “
    Feliz 1984 #SoyTerrorista #SoyCriminal #SoyDelincuente
    Happy 1984 #IAmATerrorist #IAmACriminal #ImADelinquent
    
    
26. “
    Primero te llaman antisistema y luego cambian el sistema para convertirte en criminal #SoyCriminal

    First they call you anti-system and then they change the system to make you into a criminal #IAmACriminal

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27. #SoyCriminal y mi delito es seguir pensando que tengo Derechos.

    #IAmACriminal and my crime is to keep thinking I have rights.