Celestino Sánchez, Antonia Jover, Adrián Rísquez, and Rosario Cunillera are some of the members of the the “Iaioflautas,” a collective that emerged in Barcelona last October alongside the camping grounds in Plaza Catalunya. Its objective is to support the youth in their own way. But the fight, they assert, is the same: “for a dignified democracy by name and social justice against conspiratorial bankers and politicians.”
The “iaioflautas,” whose name was invented in solidarity with the “perroflautas” (gutter punks) — a derrogatory term with which the president of Madrid used to refer to the young occupiers — combine some of the methods they used in the anti-Franco, labor union, local or leftist fights with their learning about new technologies. To summarize, they organize a “direct action” in the street once a month, almost in secret, and do not announce it on their Twitter account, @iaioflautas, or blog [es] until it has already begun. That way, they avoid problems with the police.
The first event took place in November, when they occupied a Santander Bank office in Barcelona. The most recent one, called “Operation #RebelionBus,” occurred on Wednesday, February 1. Some 70 “yayos” (grandparents) arranged to meet in the very center of the Catalan capital and “hijacked” a bus in protest of the abusive increase in public transportation fares.
They chose Line 47, in reference to the missing bus driver and syndicalist Manuel Vital [es] that hijacked a bus on this line in May of 1978 to demonstrate that he could get to his neighborhood. The following is part of a series of tweets that they started writing a few days before with the help of young activists:
January 30:
@iaioflautas: #eldía1F los @iaioflautas vamos a hacer algo muy loco. (puenting…como que no). Filosofía #occupy 99% ¿Le dais un meneito? Gracias!
@iaioflautas: #Feb1 the @iaioflautas are going to do something really crazy. (bungee jumping… but of course). #occupy 99% Philosophy. Will you give it a little shake? Thank you!
@celescolorado: Miércoles 1 por la mañana nueva travesura de @iaioflautas, síguenos
@celescolorado: The morning of Wednesday, the first, a new @iaioflautas prank. Follow us
January 31:@iaioflautas: Tic-tac, tic-tac…cuenta atrás para una travesura más. Será #eldia1f ¡especuladores, os vais a enterar! Somos el 99%. No olvidamos.
@iaioflautas: Tick-tock, tick-tock… counting down to one more prank. It will happen on #Feb1. Speculators, you're going to find out! We are the 99%. We don't forget.
February 1:@iaioflautas: En marcha! Hoy será un día largo. No olvidéis el bocadillo, medicaciones varias… Hoy entramos en acción. ¡Atentos!
@iaioflautas: Marching! Today will be a long day. Don't forget your sandwich, various medications… Today we start the action. Watch out!
@iaioflautas: Calentando motores, q frío que hace!
@iaioflautas: Starting our engines, it's so cold out!
@iaioflautas: Hemos ocupado un autobús, el 47, en pl. Catalunya. Somos más de 70 @iaioflautas, la acción ha empezado, seguidnos en #rebelionbus
@iaioflautas: We've occupied a bus, the 47, in Pl. Catalunya. There are over 70 of us @iaioflautas, the action has started. Follow us with#rebelionbus
@iaioflautas: [Calle] Industria con Sardenya. Que se escuche: rechazamos las reducciones de tarifas y el plan de recortes salariales #rebelionbus
@iaioflautas: On Industria and Sardenya Street. Listen: we reject the reduction in prices and the plan for salary cuts #rebelionbus
@iaioflautas: Aquí podéis ver algunas fotos de #rebelionbus. Vamos por Ronda Guineueta. Estamos ocupando el bus 47 http://www.iaioflautas.org/2012/02/operacio-rebelionbus/
@iaioflautas: You can see photos from #rebelionbus here. We're going along Ronda Guineueta. We're occupying the 47 bus. iaioflautas.org/2012/02/operac…
@iaioflautas: Bueno, el trayecto de ida ha acabado. Ahora, volviendo para la Plaza Catalunya. Sobre las 12:30 haremos una asamblea allí #rebelionbus
@iaioflautas: Well, the trip there has ended. Now we're returning to Plaza Catalunya. Around 12:30 we're going to have an assembly there #rebelionbus
@iaioflautas: Final del trayecto mañanero de la #rebelionbus. La lucha continúa con #yonopago esta tarde. pic.twitter.com/8GaRmzSw
@iaioflautas: The end of the morning trip on the #rebelionbus. The fight continues with #yonopago (#Iwontpay) this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/8GaRmzSw
@celescolorado: En la asamblea final en pz. Catalunya @iaioflautas hemos cantado el cumpleaños feliz a un compañero, Manolo González cumplía 80 años
@celescolorado: At the final assembly in Pl. Catalunya @iaioflautas We sang Happy Birthday to a friend, Manolo González, who turned 80
No comments:
Post a Comment