Los Indignados useTwitter to prevent repossessions

 

The country's M15 or 'Los Indignados' movement has found a new means of protest against the authorities since disbanding their protest camps in the major cities across Spain last weekend.

On a number of occasions this week the group have come to the aid of those who were about to be forcibly evicted from their properties because of repossession orders due to non-payment of Mortgages.

A flash appeal over the social networks - notably Twitter and Facebook - resulted in dozens of protestors turning up at the named address to prevent the authorities from entering the property, and the eviction having to be rescheduled for another day. A small victory maybe, but it means that a family was allowed a roof over their head for at least one more night and also sends a clear message to the authorities.

The majority of homeowners finding themselves with repossession orders are the same demographic who have been hardest hit by rising unemployment figures : the Immigrant community. During the property boom years tens of thousands of Latin Americans, Moroccans and Eastern Europeans were welcomed into the country to fill the labour shortages in the Construction Industry. Now that the sector has been the hardest hit of all industries, it is largely those workers who have suffered the most.

Earlier on this week the government met to discus a review of Mortgage lending regulations, specifically, to allow owners who fall into arrears the option of handing their keys back to the lender and being allowed to walk away from the property. A review committee is due to report back by December.