Nieuwe Euromarsen
vanuit Spanje naar Brussel en een grote Europese demonstratie op 17
october in Brussel. Voor een democratisch en solidair Europa. (Bouw
Europa opnieuw op)
MARCH TO BRUSSELS –
October 2015
FOR A DEMOCRATIC AND
SOLIDARY EUROPE
The economic crisis
in Europe has accelerated the brutal imposition of the neoliberal
order
based on
totalitarianism of the financial power, the primacy of the money over
the popular
sovereignty, the
privatization of public services and the transformation of the
citizens into
customers. In this
context, the pressures of the TROIKA to impose its austerity policies
is
trying to break the
democratic will of the Greeks and to deter similar dynamics in other
countries…
The path opened by
Greece is not only for the Greeks, but for all European citizens who
want to build a new
Europe based on democratic principles, justice and social cohesion.
If
we do not raise a
European movement now, Greece can be massacred and this democratic
illusion growing
with the social movements, projecting from Spain expectations of
political
change, will be
under a process of black mailing and demoralization that can end in a
painful frustration.
This is why, from the RAP (Network for Public Water) and ATTAC-Spain,
we proposed in the
ALTER SUMMIT meeting of 4-5 March in Brussels, to launch a MARCH
for a DEMOCRATIC and
SOLIDARY EUROPE. The aim was to promote a convergence of
powerful movements
that have emerged across Europe in the crisis; movements in
defence of basic
public services, such as water and sanitation, health and education,
the
right to housing,
decent pensions and care for dependents ... while confronting the
Troika
"Austerity
Policies“.
In Spain we have the
experience of massive Marches. The Blue March, organized a decade
ago, reached
Brussels with 14,000 people from Spain, to block EU funding of
Spanish
Hydrological Plan,
which included the privatization of an annual Billion cubic meters
through the Transfer
of the Ebro. More recently the Marches for Dignity focused on Madrid
1,5 million people
from all over the country.
By following these
examples we try to promote a "snowball" strategy for
involving citizens
along the two weeks
of the Marches, between 1 and 17 October. These Euro-Marches will
reach Brussels on 15
October. On each route there will be enough to have between 50 and
100 activists,
traveling by bus, which would be received and strengthened arriving
to
different cities of
the journey. In short, two weeks of events in major cities along the
different routes:
starting from the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal - Spain), Greece, the
Nordic
countries and Great
Britain-Ireland, which converge with France, Germany and other
countries along
different routes. Arriving to Brussels, on 15 and 16 is scheduled a
set of
events to ultimately
on October 17 (Saturday) have a big European Demonstration. For
this big event, will
be organized planes and buses of all EU countries. The various
itineraries will
touch every European Tax Heavens, with a carefully staging to
denounce the
black money.
ALTER SUMMIT granted
support for the initiative based on the consensus on four points:
• Oppose the
"austerity" policies and privatization of public services
TOÏKA
• Press the
democratic decisions of the people and especially the Greek people
• Finish with the
Fiscal Paradise in the EU
• Stop the secret
negotiations of TTIP
These EURO-MARCHES
should be organized on the basis of:
• Strict and clear
principles of non-violence;
• The four points
awarded to ALTER SUMMIT;
• A unitary spirit
will allow to launch ideas and claims not contradictory with these
four
points
The project was also
presented to the Assembly of European Water Movement in Brussels
on March 24 and in
Thessaloniki on 18-19 May, on the occasion of the celebration of the
anniversary of the
referendum contra privatization of water.
In Madrid, 15 April,
the initiative has received the active support of political parties
(PODEMOS, IU, EQUO
(Greens)), trade unions (CCOO, CGT), "Tides" (White, Green,
Blue,
Red),
Environmentalist Movement (Ecologistas en Acción), NGO of
Solidarity, Federation of
Neighborhood
Associations, Marches 22M for the "Dignity" and the RAP
(Network for Public
Water) and
ATTAC-Spain, that convoked the meeting.
May 2 was held a
European meeting in Athens, coordinated by ALTER SUMMIT. After
receiving the
supports of Syriza, ATTAC-France, ATTAC Spain, CCOO, IU, PODEMOS,
among
others, the proposal
of the MARCHES for a DEMOCRATIC AND SOLIDARY EUROPE was
approved and
incorporated in the common agenda for coming months. However, the
dates
(August-September)
have been revised. In contact with the Belgian trade unions it was
decided to arrive in
Brussels on 15 October, just when it is expected that begins EU
Summit (15-16
October). ATTAC France, Germany, Greece and Spain have supplemented
this change with the
celebration Friday, October 16 for a European Social Summit, among
other activities, to
finish with a big demonstration in Brussels on 17 October.
May 23 formed the
Promoter Committee of EURO-MARCHES in Spain to prepare the route
that will cross the
Iberian Peninsula, coordinating cities and territories that commit.
For
now, the route is
already approved in Spain and proposed to the French and Belgian in
their territories.
On June 8, ALTER
SUMMIT convened a new meeting in Brussels. He was granted a new
point to the four
points under consensus, demanding effective public policies against
climate change,
under the demands of social movements face the COB21. An interim
Coordination Group
was formed, until June 27 in Athens, where an Organising Committee
should take
responsibility. This Group was to propose possible routes for the
different
MARCHES, to propose
a text to launch the initiative and seek a short and shocking slogan.
And finally he had
to propose a program for the last three days in Brussels (15, 16 and
17
October).
On the basis of
these agreements from that meeting is clear, given that:
EURO-MARCHES will
reach Brussels on October 15
This day, Belgian
movements organize the symbolically encirclement of the EU Summit
16 October: European
Social Summit, with different events
Saturday 17 Oct.
(after arriving buses and aircrafts) European Demonstration.
Finally on July 14 a
new meeting convened in Brussels agreed:
- Besides the four
starting points of consensus, is added a point of consensus on
climate
(COB21), another
against racism and xenophobia and finally another against sexism…
- The slogan will
be: Basta! Enough! Oxi! Changing that Europe (or "build another
Europe" …)
- The logo will be
the stars of the European flag being part of a barbed wire, which
breaks
under the pressure
of the words "Basta! Enough! Oxi! "
- Different events
are planned under the responsibility of different groups and
movements:
The Euro-Marches are
coordinated by the Spanish; encirclement of the EU Sommer,
October 15, by the
Alliance 19-20 (Belgium); Camp on TTIP, by Belgian youth
organizations; event
against poverty in Namur, by the movements which are already
organizing it; the
Conference on Debt, by Attac; Opinion Court on the violation of
economic
and social rights of
women by organizers of the World March of Women.
Promoter Committee
in Spain of EURO-MARCHES 2015
