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Thursday, March 29, 2012
Today the slow moving, ever predictable city of Barcelona went crazy. Both our program and the media have been warning us about a strike for a few weeks now, but I never thought it'd be this big. According to most, the strike is a general strike "against austerity measures proposed by the Spanish government". Basically, it's a strike by all Barcelona/surrounding communities in Spain. That means practically no metro service, minimal public transportation, hundreds of canceled flights both in and out of Barcelona's airport, virtually no open businesses (they're all boarded up) and a longg walk to class. On my walk to class, I passed policemen everywhere poised and waiting for the craziness that was sure to ensue and dozens of news helicopters flying overhead.
The most interesting thing I found out about Spanish strikes, though, is that they announce the strike beforehand (so everyone can prepare), and then they just strike for one day no matter the outcome. In America, I've never seen a general strike. I'm more used to groups of workers going on strike until they get what they want or until they convince "the man" to negotiate with them. Spanish people just raise hell for one day and then go about their business the next morning like nothing ever happened. It's counter-productive if you ask me.
Raise hell they did, though. They caught our favorite Starbucks on fire and started every dumpster in town on fire while starting more fires in the streets and throwing bricks through random store windows. Besides the National Board of Trade, the buildings targeted weren't even government buildings. I don't qualify myself as one to give advice about how to strike properly, but it seems to me if I was protesting the government, I would aim my attacks at the government...not at Starbucks, and I wouldn't go crazy for one day and then go to my job the next morning and never bring it up again.
Barcelona, you crazy.
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