Re-imagining Democrcay 10 Years after 15-M (original) (raw)

2022, Social movement studies

15 May 2021 marks a decade since one of the most influential social movements in recent history emerged. Initially known internationally as the Indignados, or Indignant Movement, the citizen protest movement was known in Spain as simply “15-M”. The 15-M movement formed part of a wave of pro-democracy movements around the world. Inspired by the Saucepan Revolution in Iceland, the uprising in Tahrir Square in Cairo, and the Portuguese Geração a Rasca, but also drawing on a rich tradition of autonomous movements in Spain, its original protest event led to an unplanned month long occupation of Madrid’s central plaza known as “Acampada Sol” that developed into an innovative political laboratory in which democracy could be rethought. It subsequently reverberated throughout Spain and the world, inspiring other movements as it had itself been inspired. To date the movement has contributed a wealth of literature analyzing its origins, evolution, dynamics, achievements, and challenges. As the 10th anniversary approaches, it is a good time to re-evaluate the movements’ outcomes, impacts, and legacy for social movement scholarship, activism, and democracy.