Indignados

Indignados, literally “the Indignant,” refers to participants in a social protest movement that surged in Spain in 2011 as part of the broader 15-M movement. It arose from widespread dissatisfaction with austerity measures, high unemployment, and perceived corruption in the political and financial elite following the 2008 crisis. The first large demonstrations took place on May 15, 2011, in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and quickly spread to other cities, organized under the slogan Democracia Real Ya (Real Democracy Now).

The Indignados emphasized horizontal, participatory organization rather than centralized leadership. Activists set up open assemblies in public squares, practiced consensus decision-making, and used social media to coordinate events, protests, and occupations of space, such as encampadas in major city centers. They sought deeper citizen involvement in politics, greater transparency, anti-corruption measures, and reforms to the political system, including tools for direct democracy and referendums alongside opposition to ongoing austerity policies.

While not a formal political party, the Indignados influenced Spain’s political landscape by mobilizing a large base of urban protesters and shaping public discourse on democracy, accountability, and social rights. The movement contributed to the emergence of new political formations, most notably Podemos, and left a lasting imprint on civic participation and protest tactics in Spain. After intense activity through 2011–2012, the movement’s visible encampments diminished, though networks and ideas persisted in subsequent political and social activism.