SPAIN: Hundreds of people defied a ban on protests

AFP - now "illegal" but determined to hear their ras-le-bol of the crisis and unemployment, hundreds of youths were mobilized Saturday in the camp alternative to the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, despite the electoral truce No events.

Chanting "we are now illegal," an immense crowd welcomed Friday at midnight on the start of the truce, after, at the stroke of the clock, symbolically launched a "silent scream" of scotch tape on the mouth, arms raised to heaven.

Saturday morning, a thousand protesters still occupying the "village" of tents and plastic sheeting blue.

The crowd, much larger than previous days, had begun to thin in late night. Thousands of young people were then kept in the main square, watching sat in a circle, talking, playing music, sleeping in tents or under the stars.

The agency Efe, based on counting a specialist company, puts the figure of 19,000 protesters Friday night at the Puerta del Sol and surrounding streets, crowded.Other media put the number at 25,000 to 60,000 in Madrid and throughout Spain.

"This is something necessary, because in Spain we did not know that people were able to do that. We live finally something," says Julia Estefania, a political science student of 20 years came from Toledo.

She and her friends have rested a few hours, lying on cardboard."Sleep, sleep, I did not feel like finally we're stretched to six hours," said Irene, 18, another girl group.

The police presence, despite a ban on protests, remained quiet throughout the evening, limited to a few police cars parked around the square.

The government, embarrassed by this spontaneous movement occurred a week of regional and local elections on Sunday ahead disastrous for the Socialists, had said on Friday to show "understanding".

The Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, had suggested that police action could be avoided provided that no overflow takes place.

In this context, the youth movement, building on its growing popularity, plays on the ambiguity of the law and the embarrassment of the government, repeating that he is "apolitical", "citizen" and that the days of Saturday and Sunday will be devoted to the pursuit of a "reflection" collective.

"We act in full respect of the truce election meetings will be held but no action will be decided," Lopez said Saturday, a spokesman.

Since Tuesday, the spontaneous movement brings together a mosaic of young people but also people from all backgrounds and all ages, unemployed, students, retirees and employees.

Unique, colorful and pacifist movement, on behalf of the "right to be indignant," denounced the stranglehold of the major parties on Spanish politics, social injustice, the excesses of capitalism, "political corruption" and means a laboratory of ideas for future reforms.

Most importantly, it betrays the frustration of millions of Spaniards who face unemployment reached a record high of 21.19% and hit nearly half of those under 25 years, the salary cuts, fallout from the economic crisis.

The movement, born on the place most emblematic of the old center of Madrid, dares inevitable comparison with the recent Arab uprisings.

"In Tahrir in Madrid, the world, world revolution," declared Friday a big banner in black letters.

The protesters now have "firm intention" to continue moving on Monday, said Juan Lopez, that is to say beyond the original schedule which was to coincide with local elections.