Outsiders in the revolution: is there a rubber bullet with our name on it?

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By IEISHAH CLELLAND

“Why are you here?” a journalist from Publico shouted over the joyous din in Plaza Catalunya, the main square of Barcelona. Pots and pans, whistles, vuvuzelas left over from World Cup celebrations a year ago. “As an American,” he clarified, jotting down my name and hometown. “What is the Spanish Revolution to you?”

For me, it began with a cacerolada– a uniquely Spanish form of protest wherein the people express outrage against the government by clanging pots and pans in a public forum. As an adopted daughter of the city, I loved that the atmosphere was traditional and progressive all at once. Over a few days in May 2011, Plaza Catalunya morphed into a full-on protest camp, and I showed up daily, keys in hand, because many of my friends were among the unemployed 20%. Because I couldn’t not be there. I jingled my keys in solidarity.

The morning of May 27th, or what Barcelona refers to as, 27M, I awoke to emails and twitter alerts of violence at the camp. The Catalan government had enlisted the police to forcibly evict the protestors in anticipation of a local football club’s UEFA Champions League win. They said the people would need the square to celebrate. The “people” maintained they needed the square for protest.

Armed with my Blackberry, I left my coffee cold on the kitchen counter and within minutes was facing down an officer with a rubber bullet gun. I tweeted and took photos. An old woman broke the barricade leading to the square. Women laid roses at the feet of officers behind riot shields. A group of officers began manhandling young men with protest signs. Across the street, a middle aged woman yelled at the officers, “Verguenza!”  Shame! One turned and shoved her, too.

Crying, frustrated at the violent turn and unsure of my limits as a foreign national, I went home. News spread that the protestors had taken back the square. Without me.

As foreigners in foreign lands, when is their fight our fight?

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Originally from New York and currently based in Barcelona, Ieishah Clelland is a freelance writer/blogger dedicated to the tracing and tracking of all things cross-culture. A serial expat, having lived in 6 countries over the last 13 years, Ieishah would consider Costa Rica the best, had she not almost drowned kayaking there
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Tagged as: Barcelona, cacerolada, Catalan, demonstration, economic crisis, Ieishah Clelland, Plaza Catalunya, politics, progressive protest, protest, protestors, Spain, Spanish Revolution, traditional protest, unemployment

  • Pingback: Things I Heard At the Revolution | ieishah clelland

  • http://about.me/anastasia.ashman Anastasia

    This is so*timely* Ieishah, thank you! 

    When you call a place your adopted city (regardless of the paperwork status) it does make sense that its issues will also be your issues. How to show that, and when….that is the question.

    This doesn’t make the decision easier –> hearing so many charges (mostly from the powers that be) that foreign elements are behind the uprisings around the Arab world this year. 

    I know that when Istanbullu marched in May 2011 to protest an upcoming Internet filtering law, I felt strongly that I wanted to be part of it. Why? Because free access to the Internet has been such an important part of my life, and survival, including here in Turkey. I was glad I joined the tens of thousands who showed up.  (See photos and story at Facebook by former foreign correspondent Hugh Pope)…altho’ don’t know if his privacy settings will allow you to view that. He called it “ the biggest, loudest and happiest protest I’ve seen in more than a decade ”

    I’ve been out of Malaysia for more than a decade but have also been drawn to news of its recent rally and movement for election reform — so much of what I recall as frustrating when I lived there is now coming to the surface and I am glad the people are expressing it. I think if I were still there I too would have wanted to take part.

    • Ieishah

      Hey Anastasia, I think for me the question was never if I should participate or not. I knew I should and I did. What surprised me was coming up against the limits of that participation. Literally standing in front of an officer, situation getting hot, watching people get put in police wagons, thinking, “Do I have ID on me? What if I get shot? Would getting arrested effect my residency?”… real concerns beyond just marching with the people. There was no doubt shots were about to be fired, and I bowed out. I’m still not sure I made the right decision…what would you have done?

      • http://about.me/anastasia.ashman Anastasia

        I bet getting arrested *would* affect your residency, either now — or later when you want to renew it. I have some peripheral experience with something like that, and that’s exactly what I’m referring to when I ask ‘how and when’ to show solidarity on certain issues. The fact is many foreigners like us don’t share the same rights and privileges of local citizens (and sometimes are afforded others the locals cannot rely on), and that has to be part of the equation when you decide to get involved in local political movements.

        What would I have done? Probably something similar to you because I have similar concerns.

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