CONVOCATION 28 OCTOBER 2012: ON THE USE OF FORCE BY THE GOVERNMENT

On the use of force by the Government

It might be legal but is it just?

While the socio-economic situation of the citizens becomes daily more disastrous, with reductions in rights and liberties, and other extremely violent measures that are being used, the privileges of those who make the decisions: politicians, financial entities… remain, the social movements of the country are gaining in force.

While the gap grows between the interests of the government and the needs of the people, the citizens’ reply gives life and hope in the streets. One perceives a very strong collective sentiment, a sentiment saying “We are not afraid.”

Facing the growing and continuous mobilization since 15M (a Spanish protest movement), the government response has been excessive repression, which is not a show of its strength, rather of its fear of the people. The government’s lack of will for dialogue is the response to the shout of the people “We are not the enemy”.

As feminists and anti-militarists, we believe that it is a mistake of the government to turn the Fuerzas del Orden into enemies of the citizenry, and we condemn the violation of rights on the part of the Security Forces.

We condemn those responsible for the crisis, which is an economic war that to maintain the privileges of the few, impoverishes the majority.

We wish for direct action through active nonviolent resistance to continue developing. Nonviolence is now a priority.

We request:
♀ To avoid through every means possible social fracture and to apply policies with social justice: to promote employment and eradicate poverty, creating conditions that will result in equality of the sexes.
♀ That the expenditure for social repression be used instead for social policies
♀ That information given by the media be truthful and allow for debate
♀ That the government not establish censorship to protect excesses by the police
♀ That the system not be formulated in such a way as to assign all the common and public wealth for private benefit
♀ Independent investigation to determine the real authors of these violations and crisis, and that those responsible do not remain in impunity.


Translation: Trisha Novak, USA