Spain: Expropriation of Food for the Most Needy

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

The autonomous representative of the United Left Los Verdes-Convocation (IULV-CA) for Sevilla, national leader of the Collective Unity of Workers (CUT-BAI) and mayor of the Andalusian locality of Marinaleda, Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo, along with hundreds of members of the Andalusian Workers Union (SAT), entered various supermarkets in order to carry out what they have designated as an expropriation of food from the large supermarkets.

These food products were destined to go to the food banks, NGO's who provide for the needs of people who, due to the current government's cuts, have increased in number and are being systemically removed from any opportunity of subsistence, and who find themselves in critical situations.

@SanchezGordillo: Hay que expropiar a los expropiadores que llevan siglos expropiando a millones de seres humanos hundidos en la miseria y el hambre

@SanchezGordillo: We have to expropriate the expropriators who have spent centuries expropriating millions of human beings sunken in misery and hunger

@SanchezGordillo: Los grandes fariseos se andan rasgándose las vestiduras por la mini expropiación realizada por el SAT en dos grandes superficies! Qué cínicos

@SanchezGordillo: The great Pharisees are ripping their clothes for the mini-expropriation fulfilled by the SAT (Andalusian Workers Union) in two large supermarkets! How cynical

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUjuJB3q18s

Subsequent to the vindictive action of expropriating food to give to the most needy, the head of the ministry of the Interior, Jorge Fernández Díaz, has given the order to detain those responsible for the assaults on two supermarkets, to which netizens have not delayed in stating their position:

Comparison of judicial actions

@democraciareal: Detención a SánchezGordillo x estar en la acción del SAT, Rato y otros estafadores siguen libres http://bit.ly/QKJphH#JusticiaSelectiva

@democraciareal: Detention of SánchezGordillo for being involved in the SAT (Andalusian Workers Union) action, While other con men continue free http://bit.ly/QKJphH #JusticiaSelectiva

@chikosdelmaiz: No os asuste la crisis compañer@s: hay muchas casas vacías y muchos supermercados llenos. SánchezGordillo a la moncloa. #expropiación

@chikosdelmaiz:: Do not worry about the crisis friends: there are many empty houses and many full supermarkets. SánchezGordillo to the Moncloa (Spanish prime minister's official residence). #expropiación

@pedroaleman_ser: El #PSOE tacha de “barbaridad” el asalto de SánchezGordillo a un supermercado http://ow.ly/cPIGX

@pedroaleman_ser: The #PSOE (Spanish Socialist Worker's Party) labels as “barbarity” SánchezGordillo's assault on a supermarket http://ow.ly/cPIGX

The organization that administers the food bank warned:

Como responsable de una organización muy seria, y el Banco de Alimentos lo es, nosotros no entendemos que este sea un camino acertado. Es cierto que alimento y excedentes hay y mucho, pero tiene que llegar a los más necesitados en las mejores condiciones posibles y por el camino más legal porque, si no, como ha pasado en otros países, esto se convierte en que uno mismo se sirve y se lo lleva, y eso sería un desastre.

As the one responsible of a serious organization, and the Food Bank is serious, we do not understand this to be the correct way. It is true that there is food and surplus, and a lot of it, but it has to get to the most needy in the best possible of conditions and by the most legal means because, if not, as it has happened in other countries, it becomes a situation in which people help themselves and takes it, and that would be a disaster.

This type of situation is occurring more and more in the country: recently there was news that in in the city of Girona in Catalonia, the City Hall has promoted a pilot plan which would close the containers near to the supermarkets with a padlock in order to avoid that they would be opened looking for food.

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.