Spain: Student general strike against sexist, capitalist ‘justice’ system

Student strikers protesting against disgraceful light sentencing of rapists, 10.5.18, photo by Sindicato de Estudiantes

Student strikers protesting against disgraceful light sentencing of rapists, 10.5.18, photo by Sindicato de Estudiantes   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Sindicato de Estudiantes (Students’ Union)

The general student strike on 10 May, called against the shameful light sentencing of the ‘wolfpack’ rapists, was a great success. More than one million students emptied classrooms and more than 100,000 attended over 60 demonstrations organised by the Sindicato de Estudiantes (SE – Students’ Union) and Libres y Combativas platform of SE and Izquierda Revolucionaria (CWI in the Spanish state).

Madrid city centre was filled by over 20,000 young people with an exceptionally combative atmosphere; the same in Barcelona where over 40,000 filled the streets of the Catalan capital.

In the Basque country, thousands marched in Bilbao, Gasteiz, Donosti and Iruña, as well as in all provinces of Andalucia, Valencia, Galicia, Aragon, Extremadura, etc. Tens of thousands of students shouted loud and clear: “It was rape!”, “Sister, we are your ‘wolfpack’!”, “I believe you!” and “Down with sexist ‘justice’!”

It was an extraordinary day of struggle in which students expressed their support and solidarity with the victim of the wolfpack as well as rejection of all such savage attacks, which we will not allow to continue, despite the ‘justice’ system protecting perpetrators.

We showed that the feminists who defend a programme of struggle and anti-capitalism are widening their influence. This is a feminism which is not afraid to call things by their proper name, does not hesitate to denounce the justice system which protects rapists. A feminism which fights the reactionary policies of the People’s Party (PP – the main ruling party of prime minister Mariano Rajoy), Ciudadanos and all others who pretend to be feminists while sustaining the capitalist system which oppresses and kills us.

The sentence handed to the wolfpack is part and parcel of the misery which the capitalist system and this corrupt right-wing government forces millions of women, young people and workers to experience on a daily basis.

They wish to send us a clear message: while there is persecution of those who struggle, there is impunity for sexists and corrupt politicians and bosses.

We made history once more in the struggle for freedom. But we cannot now let our guard down. From Libres y Combativas and the Sindicato de Estudiantes we call on all young people to continue to mobilise against all oppression and invite you to join us in building a revolutionary, anti-capitalist feminist movement.