If the suit fits: protestors deliver manifesto to Congress

They went in elegantly dressed - the men wore dress slacks, laced shoes and starched shirts; the women donned dresses, skirts and blouses. Hardly anyone knew they were members of the 15-M movement; more importantly, the police were unaware.

But with that choice of attire, five members of the 15-M Barcelona chapter were able to pass through the cordoned-off area near Congress, where police were blocking their fellow protestors from getting close to parliament to disrupt the session.

"We are going to the Palace Hotel," one of them told an officer after emerging from a taxi. The police let them through.

When they reached Congress, they identified themselves as members of the 15-M movement and to their surprise they were allowed inside where they delivered a seven-page manifesto to lawmakers. The document contained a list of grievances collected from citizens in many Spanish towns during the long march that took more than a month and ended in Madrid last weekend. Members of the 15-M assembly drafted a condensed version of the citizens' complaints against government corruption, lack of public services, shortages of affordable housing and unemployment.

One of the congressional ushers asked the five to wait in the lobby until the deputies entered the chamber. Outside the nearly 70 supporters, who earlier had tried to march on Congress but were dispersed by law enforcement during a scuffle, also waited patiently on the other side of the secured police perimeter.

With the deputies seated, Borena, a 35-year-old woman from Barcelona, entered the chamber accompanied by an usher. She handed the manifesto to the parliament's secretary who registered and stamped it. Along with the complaints, the group included a question about police taking action against people by distinguishing them "by their dress, appearance or political ideologies."

All of the lawmakers, including Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, received a copy of the manifesto.

The five ran outside to join their companions, holding the stamped copy of the manifesto like a trophy. The protestors hugged each other and cheered. "What we wanted to accomplish was to let the people's voices be heard in Congress. We did it, and now we can go home," said Borena, who marched all the way from Barcelona.

The protestors huddled quickly for an urgent assembly: they had to decide whether they wanted Gaspar Llamazares, the United Left (IU) parliament leader, to read the manifesto for the congressional record. Many protested; they did not want the movement to be identified with any political party. But the assembly agreed to allow the IU lawmaker to deliver the message on the condition that he makes it clear the movement is not connected to his party. The five raced back to Congress and instructed Llamazares.

When it was his floor turn, Llamazares followed his instructions. "I am just here as a mailman," he told his fellow lawmakers before he read the statement.

About 50 "outraged ones" are now headed to Brussels in another longer march "to demand direct democracy for Europe." They hope to reach the EU seat of government by late September.