Two years on, what’s left of the indignados?

Almost two years since the launch of the indignados movement on May 15, 2011, El Periódico de Catalunya reports on the Sunday demonstrations in some 20 cities across Spain. For the newspaper, the protests highlighted "the initial popular response to the crisis" and the first austerity measures adopted by the socialist government of that era.

The anniversary is an opportunity to assess the impact of the protests, notes the newspaper, which argues that the outlook for the demonstration’s 15-M Movement is not an optimistic one.

Although it still has a presence on social networks, the movement has been weakened to the point where it has disappeared from the media: a result of the absence of concrete goals, a lack of leadership, and the diversity or non-existence of spokesmen and women.

However, "something much more important" remains, continues El Periódico —

… the seeds of social protest it planted have grown into major movements that have occupied the streets in recent months. [15-M] paved the way for the power of the Platform for those Affected by Mortgages (PAH) and the massive groundswell of protest from across the political spectrum […] which has deplored cuts to health care, education and other sectors affected by a downsizing of the welfare state decided by those charged with the management of the crisis. The call to “unmask” the system, which was the watchword for these anniversary demonstrations is an apt expression of the transition from indignation to rebellion.