revolution

Catalonia has the potential to lead the Third Industrial Revolution, says American economist Rifkin

September 22, 2016 07:30 PM | ACN

Catalonia has the “cultural capital” and the “knowledge” to promote a new model of production, more sustainable than the “obsolete” one. This is the main conclusion of a lecture given at the conference “A new Economic Paradigm for a Sustainable Catalonia’ by economist Jeremy Rifkin organized on Wednesday in Sant Cugat, a city near Barcelona, by the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (Diplocat). According to the sociologist and political advisor, Catalonia has the potential to “lead the way of Regional Europe” to the ‘Third Industrial Revolution’. Rifkin predicts an economic paradigm shift as a result of two merging factors: Internet technology and renewable energies, which will create a powerful Third Industrial Revolution where people will produce their own green energy and will share it on a sort of “Energy Internet”, in the same way we share information today.

The ‘Spanish revolution’ returns with greater support and more organised demands

May 15, 2012 01:55 AM | CNA

The 15-M Movement, also known as ‘The Indignados’, ‘The Outraged’, or ‘the Spanish Revolution’, which occupied squares throughout Spain in May and June 2011, celebrates its first anniversary. Last summer protesters abandoned the squares and the movement was kept alive in neighbourhood assemblies. One year after the first square occupation, the movement has taken to the streets and squares once again. After a massive demonstration on Saturday May 12th, protesters set up a camp in Catalunya Square in Barcelona, which they will leave on Tuesday. Also in other Catalan squares. They will organise assemblies and debates to gather further support for their programme that aims to change the current system.

Square protesters try to besiege the Catalan Parliament

June 15, 2011 11:55 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

The Catalan Parliament was under siege by the “indignats” protesters, who have been camping on Catalunya Square for the last month. They tried to impede MPs' access to the park where the Parliament is located. Some MPs arrived on foot and were insulted, pushed or sprayed. Others, including the Catalan President and the Parliament’s President, had to arrive via helicopter or inside police vans. The ‘indignats’ movement condemned “the isolated violent episodes”, but said they have the right to block the Parliament. Today the first voting on the budget was held, which reduces public spending by 10%. Despite the protests, the parliamentary debate took place.

Police charges against demonstrators in Barcelona and Lleida “to clean up the squares” but protesters set up camps again

May 28, 2011 01:00 AM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

Catalan and Barcelona Police tried to remove protesters from Barcelona’s Catalunya Square to facilitate the work of cleaners to dismantle the camp. The official reason was to prevent violent action on Saturday night if FC Barcelona wins the Champions League. After the resistance offered by some protesters, riot police charged violently causing more than 120 injured and the indignation of protesters, many civil society organisations and opposition parties. The Catalan Minister for Home Affairs accepted responsibility and stated that police were following orders. Protesters took the square back and set up the camp again. A similar operation took place in Lleida.

The electoral campaign ends with squares crowded with protesters despite the Central Electoral Board’s ban

May 20, 2011 10:54 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

The protests of citizens across Spain asking for a new democracy has completely captured the last few days of the electoral campaign. The Central Electoral Board ordered the protests to stop from Friday midnight, as they coincide with the reflection period and election day. The Spanish Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court are expected to give their verdict this Friday. Protesters decided to resist in a peaceful way, while politicians have asked them to abide by the law and the electoral process, but at the same time have requested understanding the protesters. Authorities and police unions have warned about the risks of removing the people from the squares and it is believed that they will not intervene unless violence occurs.

Protest camps grow and spread across Spain claiming for “real democracy” during the last days of the electoral campaign

May 19, 2011 12:54 AM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

They call themselves “angry people”, they are fed up and they are asking for a “real democracy”, as they believe the political class has failed to represent them. Most of them are in their twenties, but there are people of all ages and backgrounds present. Since Sunday May 15th they are camping in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol Square and in Barcelona’s Catalunya Square. The movement pretends to change the political system in a peaceful way and is being organised via social networks, probably inspired by Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Politicians, in the final days of the political campaign, have asked for an understanding of the protests and have called for calm.