Zapatero: "Youth protests are understandable"
But the Spanish prime minister did not make it clear whether he would repress demonstrations similar to those that took to the streets on Thursday.
Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero stated today that the protests carried out by young people throughout the country are "understandable" and a consequence of high unemployment. He did not clarify, however, whether he will order the use of security forces against the demonstrators. In an interview with Cadena Ser radio, Zapatero noted that, so far, the demonstrations have been peaceful, but said that the government will act "intelligently" to ensure that the regional and municipal elections scheduled for Sunday are not affected by the protests.
But he did not make it clear whether he would order police action against the protesters if they attended events prohibited by law. "We'll see what happens tomorrow. In any case, we shouldn't anticipate events," he stated. "What I can say is that the government and the Ministry of the Interior will behave well, that they will proceed correctly and act intelligently."
Asked what would happen if the protesters defied the ban, Zapatero repeated the same answer, almost verbatim. Vice President and Interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba stated, according to the newspaper El País, that "to solve one problem, the police will not create another."
Elections and protests
In Spain, election rallies are prohibited the day before the election, the so-called "day of reflection," and on election day. This means that today, Friday, is the last day of campaigning for candidates running for mayor across the country and for leadership positions in 13 of the 17 semi-autonomous regions.
The electoral authority yesterday banned protests scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, fearing they could interfere with the election. The organizers of the demonstrations, which are calling for reforms to the country's political and economic systems, rejected the ban and said they expect to see an increase in the number of protesters over the weekend.
The movement gained momentum, particularly after thousands of young Spaniards, mostly unemployed, filled public squares on Wednesday night in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. In the center of Madrid, about 200 people have remained in a camp since Sunday demanding more democracy and an end to the austerity measures introduced by the government to address the country's economic stagnation.
Zapatero said that Spain must adhere to austerity measures while maintaining social policies to help those most affected by the crisis. He also said that increasing productivity and competitiveness is of utmost importance for the country.
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), led by Zapatero, is expected to suffer significant losses at the polls, perhaps even in strongholds where it usually wins. The government is struggling to overcome the recession and create jobs to reduce the country's unemployment rate of 21,3%, the highest in the eurozone.