Demonstrators defy election officials by converging in Puerta del Sol (Madrid)
Defying a ban by Madrid election officials, several thousand people gathered in Puerta del Sol on Wednesday as mass demonstrations against unemployment and the government's social policies swelled across the country for the fourth day.
Anti-riot police were called in to enforce the ban, but at press time no one had been dislodged from Madrid's main square. People appeared in good spirits despite initial fears of confrontations. Earlier in the day, the Madrid Electoral Board banned organizers of the so-called 15-M movement from holding its rally. The board ruled that there existed "no special or serious reasons" for the urgent call for the mass demonstration. The Real Democracy Now platform, which is spearheading the movement, called on demonstrators to camp out in Madrid's Sol and other main squares in cities across Spain until Sunday's elections. But Madrid Board members decided that the protests "can affect the election race and the freedom of citizens to cast ballots" for whom they choose. The Central Electoral Board, which decides campaign policy for the entire nation, said it would make a final ruling in lieu of the different decisions being adopted by regional officials. Saying they are fed up with high unemployment and a faltering economy, demonstrators, mostly youths, are demanding a voting boycott against the major political parties in Sunday's local and regional elections.