Protesting Grandparents Occupy German Consulate

Grandparents wearing reflective vests and carrying signs decrying the bailouts took to the streets of Barcelona on Friday - and then entered the German consulate to protest against Germany's position in the Euro crisis.              

 

Calling themselves 'Iaioflautas' - a name which combines an affectionate word for grandfather with a derogatory term for street people - they are a growing organization of elderly protesters who stage regular "occupations" of bank branches.          

 

The deepening economic crisis has prompted creative protests among Spaniards, who are frustrated that budgets are being cut in schools and hospitals, while banks that lent recklessly during the boom days are due to receive more than $100 billion in European aid.

 

The protesters, whose oldest member is 84, benefit from a lighter hand from the police when they take to the streets.

 

[Unidentified Iaioflautas Activist]: 

"We are here to show our objection to the bailout of Spanish banks, and secondly we want to suggest a solution, and that is a bailout for citizens. All the money should go to the people, and not one single euro should go to the banks.”

 

Spain and Italy, under increasing fire in Europe's debt crisis, have promised new measures to repair their public finances, as their soaring borrowing costs have raised new alarms.        

 

But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rebuffed pressure from EU partners and the United States for Germany, Europe's most powerful economy, to underwrite debt or guarantee bank deposits in the single currency area.             

 

[Unidentified Iaioflautas Activist]: 

"We don't think we should be paying the debt of the banks. And as Mrs. Merkel is responsible for all the trouble in Spain as it has been German banks that have lent us the money and are taking high borrowing costs for that, so we protest.” 

           

Iaioflautas remained in the German consulate until a consulate official agreed to listen to their concerns.