Spaniards in London echo calls for referendum on monarchy
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Version 0 of 1. Rallies in cities across Spain calling for a referendum on the future of the monarchy have been mirrored in other European cities including London, where the sedate Belgravia Square hosting the Spanish embassy echoed to the sound of republican chants from hundreds of people forced abroad by their country's economic crisis. "Since the crisis, London has grown to become probably the ninth or tenth biggest 'Spanish' cities, so we have been trying to get people to spread the word about this among their social circles," said Hugo De Armas, 40, a teaching assistant from Tenerife and one of the organisers of a gathering outside the Spanish embassy in the wake of the announcement that King Juan Carlos is to abdicate. "Official data suggested that around 90,000 Spaniards were living in London in 2011 but we know that many are not registered with the embassy here for example so the actual population is probably closer to 200,000. We think that what is happening is a tremendous opportunity." Word of the demonstration was spread by 15M London Assembly, a movement of Spaniards in London, some of whom have links to Spain's 'Indignados' movement and the new left-wing Podemos party which won five seats and 1.2m votes in Spain's European elections last month. Typical of many in the crowd outside the embassy was Javier Colacio, 28, a sound engineer from the southern Spanish city of Almeria who had arrived in London in search of work just two weeks ago. Around him, friends chanted or held aloft the pre-Franco era Spanish republican flag or, in some cases, the yellow and red of Catalan nationalists. "I felt happy but also frustrated this morning when I heard the news of the abdication," said Colacio, standing, like others, with a home-made placard emblazoned with the words 'Referendum Ya' [Referendum Now]. "People want the power to decide who their head of state is and at a time like this a change to the system is really needed." Leading others in chants such as 'España Mañana Será Republicana' [Spain tomorrow will be a Republica] was Noelia Sanchez, 34, a Spanish lawyer who has been working for the past two and a half years in London's Smithfield Market. "Most of us who live here do so because we don't have the option of work at home in Spain. We have had to move abroad. The creation of a republic would be hugely symbolic, and a start in terms of changing things in Spain." Spaniards living abroad also gathered in cities including Paris, Brussels and Berlin – other magnets for young immigrants who have been leaving a country where the unemployment rate has risen to above 26%. Although the Spanish economy grew between January and March, buoyed by recovering domestic demand, youth unemployment stands at more than 50%. |