Saturday, October 20, 2012

15-M Zuid-Holland Assembly summary report. 18th October 2012.

During the assembly, the following proposals were debated:

- To prepare an action to support from the Netherlands the general strike in Portugal, Greece and Spain the 14th of November. For the first time, a general strike will be coordinated among different countries. A first proposal could be to celebrate a demonstration in Dam Square in Amsterdam. The coordination with Greek and Portuguese activist groups would be a first priority.

- The following strategy for Zuid-Holland has been proposed:
- To try to connect by now with the Spanish community living here. They will be probably more interested in our activities than other groups. Nevertheless, we will keep the assembly completely open, with all the information and resolutions in English, so everybody feels free to participate.
- To propose the Amsterdam Assembly to design a common banner for the 15-M in Holland, so we can use it in different places to inform about our existence and our activities (Hogar español, faculties, music schools...). A small text and the way to connect via Facebook and e-mail, would be included.
- To prepare an informative event about what has been the 15-M process in the Netherlands, showing the achievements, actions developed (demonstrations, infomative actions, connections with other groups, videos and material, etc). How the existing situation is and what the short and long therm objectives are. We will look for places to host the event.

- To get information about what are the exact Spanish Ambassador obligations when he is officially asked about an specific issue.

- To investigate what are the strike rights in the Netherlands in case we would need to use them in a future.


Resumen de la Asamblea 15-M Zuid-Holland del 18 de octubre de 2012.

Durante la asamblea se debatieron las siguientes propuestas:

- Queremos organizar una acción de apoyo internacional en Holanda a la huelga general convocada en España para el 14 de Noviembre. Por primera vez una huelga general estará coordinada con otros países, de momento Portugal y Grecia. Una propuesta sería una manifestación en DAM Square en Amsterdam. La coordinación con los grupos de activistas Griegos y Portugueses sería una primera prioridad.


- Se propone una estrategia organizativa para Zuid Hollad.
- Centrarnos de momento en la comunidad española residente aquí. De todas formas la información se traducirá al inglés.
- Proponer a la Asamblea de Amsterdam diseñar un poster conjunto sobre el 15-M Holanda para usarlo en lugares que permita informar sobre nuestra existencia y actividades (Hogar español, universidades, conservatorios...). Se incluirá un pequeño texto y la forma de conectar vía Facebook y email.
- Hacer un evento informativo sobre cuál ha sido el proceso del 15-M en Holanda desde hace año y medio, mostrando las acciones realizadas (Manifestaciones, acciones informativas, conexiones con otros movimientos, videos y material, etc), cual es la situación actual y los objetivos a corto y largo plazo. En ese sentido informarnos sobre espacios donde realizarlo, Javier en Rotterdam y Sol en La Haya.


- Obtener información sobre cuáles son las obligaciones exactas del embajador de España en La Haya cuando se le pregunte oficialmente su posición sobre un tema concreto. (Sol se encarga)


- Existe interés en conocer los derechos de huelga en Holanda por si fuera necesario ejercerlos en un futuro (Javier se encarga).

Thursday, October 11, 2012

13O GLOBAL NOISE!

13/10/2012, 14:00, BEURSPLEIN, AMSTERDAM




Get ready for #GlobalNoise!

Global day of potbanging protest on October 13
A year ago, the world was surprised by the rapid spread of square occupations calling for #GlobalChange. This Saturday we will take the streets again, louder than ever, with a global cacerolazo, casserole, potbanging protest.
The initiative comes from the international networks of Occupy, Indignados, #YoSoy132, and now many grassroots groups and individuals joined: in hundreds of cities around the globe protests are planned.

Many voices, one struggle
The focus of the protest is intentionally left open to be filled by local organizers and participants. The result is a turbulent cacophony of issues and slogans: “Don’t owe, won’t pay” in Spain, “Fuck the Troika” in Portugal, a clear message against war from Istanbul, a protest in front of the annual IMF/Worldbank meeting in Tokyo...
One common theme running through all the #GlobalNoise events is the targeting of political and financial elites who are held responsible for destroying our communities and the planet, resonating the ongoing wave of anti-austerity protests in Europe and around the world. At the same time #GlobalNoise is a symbol of hope and unity, building on a wide variety of struggles for global justice and solidarity, assuring that together we will create another world.

Program
-14:00; Opening speech by Ronald Jan Hein, several speakers, music and celebration.
-16:00; Worldwide global noise / (maybe) Mars around town
-18:30; People's Assembly
-20:30 Film about Occupy Amsterdam from Sara Blom: 'Share Square'.
-22:00 Closing


15M Holland

Spanish Citizens, 15M/Indignados assemblies and various social networks and organizations around the country and abroad are building the Citizen Debt Audit Platform to demonstrate the illegitimacy of debt.
In the Spanish state, as in other countries in the European periphery, we are witnessing a Debt Crisis used to justify austerity policies which are destroying social and labour rights won with the effort and struggle of past generations. With impunity, basic public services such as education, health and social services are being reduced and privatized. People are helplessly watching how retirement age is delayed, living conditions are made precarious, pensions freeze and labour rights dissapear.
The Spanishs economy's debt is huge, above 400% of GDP, but, who subscribed and benefit from this debt? Is it true that we all have lived beyond our means, as we hear repeated over and over again? Or on the contrary, has this debt benefited a powerful minority that continues profiting from austerity? Are we paying a debt that we have not generated, a debt that is subscribed against people's general interest? Or is the mechanism designed to generate illegitimate debt in itself? Why have the States to cover the losses of private companies, such as banks, to protect the private creditors over the citizens?
From the 15M Holland, we understand that there is more than enough evidence of illegitimacy in the debt that the Spanish Government, together with the EU and regional governments, is using as the reason to pull ahead with bleeding austerity policies. This is why we demand the right to know about the details of the process that led us to this situation. This initiative has, among its objectives, the need to recover democratic and sovereign power to decide what to do with the debt and with our future. Without any interference from financial markets, the European Commission, the ECB or the IMF.
The audit will have a wide view; not just limited economic and financial issues; it will also include the role of the Spanish State as creditor of debt with countries in the Global South as well as considering ecological, gender, social, cultural, political and historical debt issues.
Still defining objectives and strategies, networking, developing tools collecting data, the Platform is holding training activities and meetings, giving lectures in neighbourhoods, towns, communities, schools and groups of interested people; making materials available for citizen information and opening participation channels.
Social mobilization is considered essential for the campaign's development. The platform has participated in various demonstrations against social cuts, the labour reform, general strikes, etc. As well as actions in support of the Greek people.
There have also been international coordination efforts, celebrating the first Euro-Mediterranean meeting in April, where the “International Citizen Audit Network” has born. Activists and organizations from twelve countries in Europe and North Africa participated and are also in the process of developing or planning debt audit campaigns in their own countries. (Article on international coordination: http://wp.me/p1Atrv-1rk)
The 15M Holland Platform will participate in 13O mobilizations denouncing the economic and financial policies that caused the crisis as well as the illegitimacy of the debt and the austerity policies imposed to us. We will use the social spaces created to celebrate the first anniversary of Global Noise to appeal to our people, regardless of their knowledge or experience, to participate in this process of collective learning and empowerment.
Not one single euro more to rescue banks. Citizen's debt audit.
We will not pay an illegitimate debt created by those who caused the crisis.

Beyond October 13
#GlobalNoise is a moment to establish new connections, strengthen our networks and communicate our plans for the future. The coming weeks and months a large number of events are scheduled, including the Global Education Strike on October 18, movement gatherings in Madrid (Agora99) and Florence (Firenze10+10) in november, the global day of action for the Rights of Migrants, Refugees and Displaced people on December 18.
And then there is an initiative from Montreal, Quebec, called VIA22 which is a global day of action planned for October 22 and continuing to occur on the 22nd of every month. The idea of VIA22 is to take potbanging to the next level by expressing the need that our marches and demonstrations become spaces for sharing knowledge about alternatives.

Links for #GlobalNoise
Interact: facebook
Tools: map | images | posters | videos
Manifestos from Paris and Barcelona and Tokyo
Livestream on October 12: http://www.livestream.com/globalnoise and http://www.globalrevolution.tv
Contact: ttszuidholland@gmail.com

Thursday, September 27, 2012

29S DEMONSTRATION, 19:00, DAM SQUARE

 29-09-2012, 19:00 H, DAM SQUARE

Este sábado se hace de nuevo un llamamiento para rodear el Congreso en Madrid con la intención de que sea más masivo aún que el pasado 25s.
Es necesario seguir denunciado que el Gobierno de Mariano Rajoy no merece gobernar este país y por ello se ha decidido convocar nuevas concentraciones, para demostrar, asimismo, que la estrategia de producción de miedo y de criminalización emprendida no va dar resultado.
Desde Amsterdam nos sumanos a esta iniciativa organizando también, para el sábado 29, una acción d

e protesta en la Plaza Dam con el objetivo de denuciar los abusos de poder, violaciones a los Derechos Humanos y formas de reprimir al Pueblo que el gobierno esta utilizado sistemáticamente en España. Por no hablar de la manera descarada de hacer política, haciendo lo contrario de lo que prometen en sus programas electorales, manipulando y distrayendo la atención de la gente con los medios de comunicación y recortando al pueblo en sus salarios, sanidad, educación, etc. Mientras ellos siguen con sus sueldos y privilegios intactos.

El objetivo de estas protesas es conseguir que el Gobierno dimita e iniciar en España un proceso Constituyente. La presion internacional en este momento es fundamental. Vamos a demostrarles que tenemos capacidad de reactivarnos en cualquier momento y que no vamos a permitir que nos silencien.

Desde el 15M Holanda animamos también a otras Asambleas o personas de otras ciudades a hacer lo mismo e intentar organizar acciones de apoyo.

...............................................................................................................

This Saturday there is again a call to surround the Congress in Madrid with the intention that this will be even more massive than last 25s.
It is necessary to continue denouncing that the Government of Mariano Rajoy does not deserve to govern this country and therefore it has been decided to convene new concentrations, to demonstrate further that the production strategy of fear and criminalization is not working.
From Amsterdam we join this initiative organizing for Saturday 29, a protest in Dam Square in order to speak out about the abuse of power, violations of human rights and ways to suppress the people that the government is used continuously in Spain. Not to mention the blatant way of doing the opposite of what they promise in their election programs, manipulating and distracting the attention of people with manipulated media and cutting the people wages, health, education, etc.. While they continue with their salaries and privileges intact.

The objetive of these protests is to get the government resign and start a constituent process in Spain. The international pressure is critical at this time. Let's show them that we have capacity of organization at any time and we will not allow that they silence us.

From Holland 15M we also encourage other Assemblies or people from other cities to do the same, trying to organize support actions.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

25S, DAM SQUARE, AMSTERDAM


KEY POINTS OF THE 25/09/2012 AMSTERDAM 15M OPEN ASSEMBLY

Attendants:27
Facilitator: Sol
Secretary: Sara

-A lot of new faces in the assembly. We decide to reactivate the movement in The Netherlands.

-Explanation of the existing assemblies structure and their way of working.

-Remark on the importance of create alliances with other groups to be able make a real change.

-Creation of a new mailing list with the new people. Some of the people in the previous list complained because of the “spam”.

-If we want get involved, we have to invest some of our time. All these actions, debates and assemblies require time.

-Most of the people attending got the information about the action from the facebook group and not from the blog.

-Contact in EFE press agency. We can send the photos and videos from the 25S action in Amsterdam.

-Information about the next global action day: 13th October Global Noise. Check Occupy Amsterdam blog and facebook group.

-Agreement on checking how the evolution of the events during the following hours in Spain. Using the facebook group (movimiento reivindicativo de españoles en holanda) we will decide if we repeat the action in the coming days.

-Contact in EFE press agency. We can send the photos and videos from the 25S action in Amsterdam.

-Next Amsterdam open assembly: 03-10-2012, 18:00h, Café Budapest.

Friday, September 21, 2012

INFORMATIVE DEMONSTRATION ON THE CALLING OF

“25S SURROUND THE PARLIAMENT”


19:00H, 25-09-2012, DAM SQUARE, AMSTERDAM




CONTEXT

The collective “Plataforma En Pie” (Stand Up Platform) made a calling through social media to force a new constitutive process in Spain, under the slogan “ On the 25th of September Occupy the Parliament”. The lack of clarity and transparency both in the objectives of the call and in the identity of the platform caused suspicion among 15M assemblies thus loosing their support. Nevertheless, this process shows the operability of the hundred of active assemblies in Spain. Moreover, it demonstrates their capacity to react and adopt a political position in relation to popular actions questioning the economic and social system. Thanks to this intense debate different 15M assemblies, some DRY (Real Democracy Now) nodes, social collectives and individuals, have integrated a state coordinator with a completely open horizontal working policy, based on the assembly system in order to generate consensus. This state coordinator has turned the action into “Rodea el Congreso” (Surround the Parliament), with a clear NON VIOLENT MANDATE. The access and exit of the parliamentarians will not be obstructed at any moment. The normal activity inside the Parliament will not be disturbed. Everything indicates that the 25S will be difficultly stopped. Also, part of the people inside15M seems to have assumed the challenge of turning this action into theirs, reformulating and opening it.

After this analysis of the context, background and 25S coordinator objectives among others, we have agreed to demonstrate in Amsterdam with the aim of giving the following approaches an international relevance:

The 25th of September the Spanish Parliament building will be surrounded as a symbol to rescue it from the kidnapping which has turned this institution into a useless organ. A kidnapping of the popular sovereignty by the Troika and by The Markets, executed under the blessing and collaboration of most of the political parties. Parties which have betrayed their electoral programs, their voters and the people in general, breaking their vows and contributing to people's gradual pauperization.

A government chosen by the people that once it reaches the power operates on the opposite that the candidates promised, has no legitimacy. Winning an election does not give the government the right to make do as it wills, betraying the voters who elected it. The people, under these conditions, have the right to require the government to quit. The people have the right to have a government which governs according to the popular choices. This is the essence of democracy and popular sovereignty.

The Parliament will be surrounded by the 25S to tell those who unjustly govern us: we will disobey their unfair and illegitimate impositions to pay their debt. We will defend our collective rights: our houses, public education, public health system, employment, democratic participation and our decent life. We will initiate the process to stop the responsibles for this crisis. The arsonists who have caused our crisis will be judged instead of rewarded.

The demonstration on September 25th around the Parliament takes place in order to recover our responsibility of our own future, rejecting impositions. We want to tell the ones who have kidnapped Democracy that it is their time to leave. We will require the resignation of this government, as a first step. Set it free. Let's start anew our constitutive process: an open process with direct participation where we all determine together political institutions, participation tools, juridical and political mechanisms that we need to guarantee the efficiency of our collective decisions. A continuous constitutive process which collective definition starts, but does not end, on 25S”

From the Amsterdam and Zuid-Holland 15M assemblies we support, as we have been doing until now and as we will keep on doing in the future, every non-violent action, emerged into an open, horizontal and assembly process, which help the people to defend themselves from the attacks by an elite which impose us an unfair system and forces us to pay the consequences of a crisis that this elite generated and is still stimulating. This crisis is not just Spanish or European, but a globally systemic. So it can only be solved through an international collective action. For these reasons, we want to inform, in the country we are living now, The Netherlands, about the action “25S surround the Parliament” which will take place in Spain. Showing in this way the continuous questioning of the system and that there are alternatives. We will denounce any violent repression by the Spanish State. Always according to the non-violent and open spirit of the 25S Coordinator, and based on the following premisses:

-This is a non-violent action.
-It has been opened to everybody's participation.
-The work developed during this year has been decisive and still is. This action must not compromise it, but reinforce it.
-The 25S action does not delegitimize at all the day by day and week by week work of the neighborhood assemblies. On the contrary, in the remote case an action success with the real starting of a constitutive process, this should lay on them.

MORE INFORMATION (in Spanish):
-25S coordinator full manifesto: https://coordinadora25s.wordpress.com/manifiesto/
-List of the assemblies, organizations and collectives which support or take part into 25S:

CONTACT:

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

15M Holanda.Carta en el Consulado = PLEINBEZETTERS VIEREN JUBILEUM SPAANSE VOLKSOPSTAND

Tekst and photos from www.antiorde.nl





PLEINBEZETTERS VIEREN JUBILEUM
SPAANSE
VOLKSOPSTAND

amsterdam, dinsdag 15 mei 2012

een jaar na de spaanse volksopstand kwam de 15-m beweging byeen op de dam uit solidariteit met de pleinbezettingen van de indignados.. rond half acht 's avonds startte de manifestatie met enkele toespraken in het spaans en engels om over te gaan in een gezamelyke jamsessie waarby actievoerders ritmisch slogans scandeerden op het onafgebroken gedrum van de salsaband.. eerder die dag protesteerde 15-m by het spaans consulaat..

15 mei 2011 waren honderdduizenden spanjaarden de harde bezuinigingen en hoge werkloosheid beu; de beweging van de verontwaardigden zoals zy zich noemden, bezette in tientallen steden de pleinen naar voorbeeld van de tunesische en egyptische revolutie.. onvrede jegens de werkloosheid, economische crisis, bezuinigingen, hebzucht en het kapitalisme is een jaar later onverminderd, maar een massale bivak op de stadspleinen is er niet meer by: 18 mensen zyn afgelopen zaterdag in madrid gearresteerd toen ze wilde overnachten op het puerta del solplein..





Tuesday, May 15, 2012

15M Amsterdam.By the consulate

Here You can see the first movie from the small action by the consulate: MORE parts would come ... 15M in Amsterdam.1 year of Spanish Revolution [english below] Op dinsdag 15 mei is het precies een jaar geleden dat de indignados in Madrid, Spanje een plein bezetten. Zoals we allen weten, lag dit aan de basis van Occupy. Nu, een jaar later, zijn er in Amsterdam op di 15 mei 2 initiatieven genomen dit te herdenken. Deze herdenking gaat gepaard met een Engelstalige oproep (zie verder) die ik (vrij) vertaald heb. Laat dit ons allen inspireren. 15M in Amsterdam Een jaar geleden in Spanje werd berusting omgezet in verontwaardiging en we gingen de straat op terwijl niemand dit verwachtte. De boodschap was duidelijk: "We zijn geen goederen in de handen van politici en bankiers". Het ongekende succes van een democratische demonstratie zonder enige steun van politieke partijen, vakbonden en de media inspireerde een groep dappere mensen te blijven zitten op een plein in het centrum van Madrid om daar te beslissen wat te doen. Vanuit dit uitgangspunt hebben we ons verzameld op de pleinen in het hele land en in het buitenland om te praten over wat wel en niet weten, over wat we voelen, over hoe de crisis een oplichting is, over wat de macht verbergt voor ons en wat we ontdekten, dag na dag, bijeenkomst na bijeenkomst, een vermogen om kritisch en constructief te denken dat we dachten dat we niet hadden. Maar we hebben het, en we zijn wakker geworden. Dit jaar is een enorme leerervaring voor miljoenen mensen geweest, van de Arabische lente tot Occupy Wall Street. We hebben geleerd hoe geïnformeerd te geraken en om anderen te informeren. We hebben ontruimingen gestopt en marcheerden van Madrid naar Brussel om onze eisen kracht bij te zetten. We hebben onze eigen media en netwerken gecreëerd. We hebben het werk ervaren dat nodig is om een consensus in horizontale vergaderingen te bereiken zonder leiders, waar iedereen democratisch in kon participeren, maar ook hoe krachtig en verstandig deze consensus waren. We voelden de kracht in ons toen we de ketens van angst braken die het systeem constant probeert te introduceren in onze wil. We braken de ketens en niets is meer hetzelfde sindsdien. Langs die weg hebben we fantastische mensen ontmoet; deelden we ervaringen, wensen en angsten. Nu weten we dat we niet alleen zijn in deze oneerlijke wereld en dat er veel mensen bereid zijn te vechten voor een verandering. Na een jaar willen we elkaar weer ontmoeten om onze steun aan de idealen van de beweging te tonen en onze tijd op het plein nog een keer delen. Er is nog steeds veel te doen. Kom en doe mee! Spaans consulaat, Frederiksplein 34, Amsterdam, dinsdag 15 mei 2012 om 11:30 Dam, Amsterdam, dinsdag 15 mei 2012 om 19:00 15M Nederland *** 15M in Amsterdam One year ago in Spain, resignation was transformed into indignation and we took to the streets when nobody expected it. The message was clear, "We are not goods in the hands of politicians and bankers". The unprecedented success of a democratic demonstration without any support from political parties, unions and the media inspired a group of brave people to sit at a square in the center of Madrid to decide what to do. From this starting point we gathered at the squares all over the country and abroad to talk about what we know and what we don´t, about what we feel, about how the crisis is a scam, about what the power is hiding from us and we discovered, day after day, assembly after assembly, a capability to think critically and constructively that we thought we didn´t have. But we have it, and we have woken up. This year has been a massive learning experience for millions of people, from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street. We learnt how to get informed and inform others. We stopped evictions and marched from Madrid to Brussels to raise our claims. We created our own media and networks. We experienced the work that is necessary to reach a consensus in horizontal assemblies without leaders where everybody could participate democratically, but also how powerful and wise these consensus were. We felt the power inside us once we broke the chains of fear that the system constantly tries to introduce in our will. We broke the chains and nothing has been the same since then. Along the way we have met incredible people; shared experiences, wishes and fears. Now we know we are not alone in this unfair world and there are many people willing to fight for a change. After one year we want to meet again, show our support to the ideals of the movement and share our time in the square one more time. There is still a lot to do. Come and join us! Spanish consulate, Frederiksplein 34, Amsterdam, May 15th 2012 at 11:30 DAM Square, Amsterdam, May 15th 2012 at 19:00