The peaceful mass popular protests in cities across Spain [1], calling for democracy and protesting bipartisanship on the eve of elections, caught Greeks by surprise after a year of fruitless protests in Greece against IMF/ECB imposed austerity measures [2]. Many Greek netizens reacted in solidarity to the sight and sounds of the “Spanish Revolution” and considered their own predicament.
Greece + Spain = Solidarity
Spanish protesters, reportedly influenced by the Greek student revolts of 2007-2008 [3], tweeted solidarity to Greece, being the first European Union country to taste the sting of IMF/ECB austerity since last year:
@GonChristopher [4]: GREECE from Spain we say to you WAKE UP!!! go out to the street and claim freedom!!!! THE TIME IS NOW!!! #greekrevolution #spanishrevolution
And solidarity was tweeted back:
@neopolitis [5]: Solidarity from Greece. #yeswecamp #acampadesol#spanishrevolution
Greek exchange student and Global Voices Greek translator Nathalie Fytrou [7] attended the May 20 Puerta Del Sol rally, tweeting reports to this author via SMS, and posting a photoset on Flickr [8] when she returned home:
@asteris [9]: At Madrid's Puerta Del Sol subway station, they substituted ‘Sol’ with ‘Solucion’ on the sign (@NathalieFytrou [10] via SMS) #acampadasol
@asteris [11]: #acampadasol @NathalieFytrou [10]: “#15m movt comparable to #griots movt; talking abt reaching out to society, workplaces, schools, universities”
@NathalieFytrou [12]: Just came back from Puerta del Sol.. What an amazing night! More organized things tonight.#spanishrevolution
Giannis Nikolopoulos (@Xeirwn [13]) posted non-stop inside updates from Spain,
@Xeirwn [13]: η συντονιστική ομάδα της ΝτεμοκράσιαΡεάλ στην Μαδρίτη τονίζει:πρότυπό μας και η Ελλάδα του Δεκέμβρη 2008 #rbnews #spanishrevolution
While others Twitter users were also conveying messages and images from Spain to Greece:
@miawkoue [15]: another msg from spain: we have the solution! put the bankers in prison #spanishrevolution
And Brussels resident Krotkie tweeted and blogged revolutionary updates from across Europe [16] [el], as revolution fever gripped Greek Twitter users:
@krotkie [17]: http://tinyurl.com/68q8b92 [18] και οι Γερμανοί στο παιχνίδι #germanrevolution #rbnews
@krotkie [19]: οι Ιταλοί καλουν αυριο στη Piazza Duomο στις 7.30 #rbnews
@athensbynite [20]: Μπέστε εδώ #irishrevolution , μόνο εμείς λείπουμε #greekrevolution
@Cyberela [21]: I want to catch that Spanish revolutionary virus too! #SpanishRevolution #Greece
@Cyberela [22]: Where the f*ck is the #GreekRevolution. Are we PIIGS or what! #Greece #SpanishRevolution
A “Greek revolution” in the making?
The #greekrevolution [24] hashtag was quickly adopted:
@Baracunda [25]: Οι Ισπανοι κανουν το αυτονοητο…μαζευονται στις πλατειες…δε κανουν πορειες…τοσο δυσκολο ειναι να το κανουμε και ‘μεις; #greekrevolution
Only to be flooded by sceptics and cynics:
@fotek75 [26]: Αν γίνει κάτι παρόμοιο με την Ισπανία στην Ελλάδα βλέπω να καταργούνται οι πλατείες με νομο
@Ali_ki [27]: Όταν αρχίσουν οι απολύσεις στο δημόσιο, τότε μάλλον θα αρχίσει και η #greekrevolution
@2metrapalikari [28]: ΛΟΙΠΟΝ, είναι απλό. Όσοι θέλετε #greekrevolution σκάστε μύτη Κυριακή στο Σύνταγμα. Όσοι δε θέλετε #greekrevolution, σκάστε να κοιμηθούμε.
But revolution advocates were adamant:
@miawkoue [29]: the domino already started with or without u #greece It's ur call. #greekrevolution
@amaradino [30]: Είμαστε επίτιμοι καλεσμένοι στο πάρτυ των λαών για δημοκρατία και αξιοπρέπεια και αργούμε.ας αφήσουμε για λίγο την πλάκα #greekrevolution
An impromptu call went out for a gathering in Athens next Sunday, after heated discussions:
@tasos_hardcore [31]: Κυριακή 12 το μεσημέρι,στο Σύνταγμα.Ας έρθει όποιος θέλει να διαμαρτυρηθεί για την αδικία της Κυβέρνησης.Πόσοι μπορούμε να μαζευτούμε άραγε;
A Facebook group to promote protests inspired by the Spanish movement, titled “Democracia Real Ya, Grecia [32]” [el], was set up (numbering 4,884 users at the time this post was being written), and a meme made popular during the Arab Spring protests made an appearance:
@yns_x [33]: Instaling democracy 2.0 in Greece ██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 5%
First solidarity camp
A solidarity camp [34] was called by the group in front of the Spanish Embassy in Athens on Saturday, however attendance was reportedly low:
@Gangelakis [35]: At 19:00 starts a camp at Spanish embassy at Athens (Greece). #spanishrevolution #europeanrevolution #nonosvamos #acampadasol
Lamenting the apathy of Greeks about the chronic ills that plague the birthplace of democracy, Cyberela blogged [38] [el] in admiration of the Spanish revolution, pointing to the revolution camp map [39]:
Καθώς η Ελλάδα αδρανεί και κρύβεται πίσω από τις ωχαδερφικές δικαιολογίες δεκαετιών που δίνουν ασυλία στην καθολική κατάντια, η ιδέα για μία πραγματική δημοκρατία, μίας συμμετοχικής δημοκρατίας που δεν υποδουλώνεται και δεν διαστρεβλώνεται αρχίζει και παίρνει μορφή στις πλατείες [39] μας.
At the time of writing this post, there were 10 Greek pins on the camp map, but only the two events in Athens had been announced.