Images of the protest demonstration outside the parliament building in Madrid have gone around the world and the consequences are still being played out.

It was a peaceful demonstration until a group of anarchist reventa manifestaciones (demonstration breakers) attacked the barriers outside the building, provoking the riot police into charging. This demonstration was organised over the social networks, and the police had been following it on facebook, so they had no trouble picking out the organisers amongst the crowd.

The next day the protest was even bigger, but again, the vast majority were peaceful protestors. When the anarchists turned up, the organisers got the people to sit down between the barriers and the violent anarchists, preventing them from ruining the protest again.

In Spain it is illegal to demonstrate outside the Congress when they are in session and is a jailing offence, as it is considered ‘disruption of the democratic workings of the state.’

One member of the conservative party compared the incident to the taking of the Spanish parliament by Guardia Civil rebels in February 1981; a comparison that has attracted much criticism, because of its very lack of comparable facts; the ripping down of barriers outside the building by unruly demonstrators is not comparable, by a long chalk, to holding MP’s hostage with firearms in an attempt to install a military dictatorship.

All but one of the protestors that were arrested have been released on bail, pending trial, but the national law courts have refused to try them for anything other than disturbing the public peace, despite the Government’s intention of having them tried for attacking the institutions of democracy.

(News: Spain)