What was that again?

By surprise as the summer vacation begins, and, no doubt, with malice aforethought, a number of police actions have been taking place in Madrid - actions of a sort that, in a democratic state, should be explained to the public, and for which somebody ought to be held responsible. Malice aforethought is unfortunately to be taken for granted in the actions of certain official agencies, the police in particular; but the summer-vacation factor was obviously much relied upon by those who sent the police into the streets, and up against people who ought to be objects of their protection. But indignation is not a seasonal thing and, though Madrid is half empty, the cup of wrath is still running over. Perhaps those in the Interior Ministry hoped everyone would be on the beach; instead they found lots of indignation still on guard duty. There are things and persons that do not go on summer holidays.

Who has decided to trample on the camp in the Paseo del Prado, and to destroy the agreed-upon information post in the Puerta del Sol - which belongs to us, and is already a symbol of a new system? Who decided to close the streets surrounding the square, in an action whose legality is questioned even by one of the police unions? Who decided to close the shops nearby - Ignacio Lara, perhaps, president of the small-business association, who is calling for huge compensation, and for more police charges? Who gave the order for the police to act with violence so disproportionate to the nature of the object? The politicians - Camacho, Gallardón, Rubalcaba? Or the archbishop, Rouco Varela?

Because, to the summer-vacation factor, we have to add the shameful Vatican factor - few being unaware that, with Ratzinger's expected arrival in Madrid, the operation bears a resemblance to the clean-up the police carried out in the Plaza de Cataluña in Barcelona. There, the excuse was soccer; here, there can be no doubt they were cleaning up the Puerta del Sol because the Popemobile is going to pass that way.

While the 15-M movement makes use of public space only to protest against the systematic abuse of power; while they sit on the pavement in their assemblies, those who hold the reins of the cavalry decide to sweep them out, to make way for the head of a ridiculous state, guilty of crimes that would seem excessive in a banana republic.

These politicians appear not to understand that their ancien régime is now reflected only in the news broadcasts they control; which nobody watches any more, since worthwhile information flows through other channels. They don't understand that our era no longer has their name on it, because it is, and will be, that of Anonymous. Or else they do understand, and act in the desperation produced by the knowledge that their time is running out.

They don't see that they are on the way out precisely for acting in this way, for repressing, for being violent, for abusing power. Foolish. Millions of euros of public money to receive the Pope? Of public money that, however, cannot cover the social services of this country, now hurting under the cutbacks produced by a deep economic crisis?

If Jesus Christ raised his head, he would fly into a fury against these merchants. Millions of euros to receive a man who believes that homosexuals are sick, and is in connivance with dangerous pedophiles? Are we insane, or what? And to carry out this scandalous abuse of power they bring huge numbers of police out in the street, in a sort of Ratzinger razzia that rightly offends every person of goodwill, and all the rightly indignant. Bellicose, that is the right word for them. Did I hear rightly, that the 15-M movement cannot occupy the Puerta del Sol to attempt to right the grave wrongs that the powers that be have committed, but the people from the Church can install no less than 200 confessionals in the Retiro park?

What?? What was that again? Confessionals? In a public park? Is this a joke, or what? An insolent, arrogant provocation - that's what it is.