That's what happened to me on Tuesday, while I was working, an impressive tsunami of citizens at Neptuno Square howled for their right to dissent with the politicians who claim to represent them, as they were in session in Congress. The cries of this human tide, encircled and at times beaten and dragged by the 1,300 strong riot police at Neptuno Square, covered the front pages of newspapers around the world. Yet they have not managed to catch the attention of [Prime Minister] Mariano Rajoy in New York. During his address to the Americas Society/Council of the Americas, Rajoy turned to his habit of editing reality according to his whim, thanking the "silent majority of Spaniards who didn't protest."
Mr. Rajoy, I am part of that silent majority who didn't protest on September 25th, and I'm imploring you not to distort or appropriate my silence.
The fact that I was not physically present at Neptuno Square does not mean that I'm not outraged by the police attacks, the government delegate overreaction, the state-run TV network's manipulation of images, or about the cocky attitude of state agents in the Atocha Station (far removed from Congress) who, without identifying themselves, intimidated travelers and prohibited photographers from doing their work. I'm outraged, too, about the determination that we Madrilenians, upon finding our city besieged since morning, would turn against the protesters. (Mission failed: we Madrilenians suffer in silence or screaming, do not believe in the people who govern us from City Hall or in our Autonomous Community, people elected by fate because they were included in a closed electoral list).
Images, and everything that surrounds them, can be manipulated: colors, words, gestures, intentions -- it all depends on the narrator. Any given reality may mean one thing, or its opposite, according to the interests of the one who narrates it. The government's spokespeople, the president himself, can narrate what happened at Neptuno Square as they please -- they do it every day. But, fortunately, in modern times, it is impossible to be the sole narrator, no matter how many punches cops dole out to anyone toting a camera (...)
TRANSLATED FROM SPANISH FROM HUFFINGTON POST STAFF
TRANSLATED FROM SPANISH FROM HUFFINGTON POST STAFF