Thousands protest outside ECB in Frankfurt

Thousands protest outside ECB headquarters in Frankfurt

AFP

Saturday, Oct 15, 2011

FRANKFURT - Thousands of people demonstrated Saturday outside the
European Central Bank's Frankfurt headquarters on the first day of a
worldwide protest against income disparity and corporate greed.

Organisers estimated a turnout of nearly 6,000, while police said 5,000
were in the square dominated by a giant blue-and-yellow euro logo.

Youths, retired people and families with children in strollers joined the
protest in bright autumn sunshine, with signs reading "Smash the
Dictatorship of Capitalism" and "Don't Sell Out Democracy at the ECB".

"I see the global capitalist system as a time bomb for humans but also
for the planet," said a 27-year-old protester who gave his name only as
Tobias.

"Our (material) well-being is financed to the detriment of other countries,
(and) the ECB represents this unjust and murderous system," said the
schoolteacher, carrying a sign reading "Capitalism Will Kill Capitalism."

Another protester, pensioner Christl, said she came thinking of her children
and grandchildren "who will have to pay for our debts".

"I think the banking system is awful overall," she said. "Investment banks
should bear the cost of their losses on their own. It's time to rise up,
otherwise nothing will ever happen."

Frauke Distelrath of the Attac anti-globalisation movement that organised
the protest said she was pleased with the turnout.

"We chose to demonstrate outside the ECB, but we could have demonstrated
outside Deutsche Bank, or outside the Frankfurt stock exchange," she said.

Inspired by America's Occupy Wall Street movement and Spain's "Indignants",
people around the world took to the streets Saturday in a rolling action
targeting 951 cities in 82 countries.

Demonstration - Economic crisis - GermanyGermany takes part in global economic protests

EURONEWS, 15/10 18:34 CET

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As more global support mobilises for Spain’s Indignado movement and Occupy Wall Street in the United States, it was Germany’s turn to show its anger about economic injustice.

Protesters gathered outside the European Central Bank building in Frankfurt, holding banners with slogans against tough austerity measures and corporate greed.

All over the world, ordinary people feel that they are bearing the brunt of the global economic crisis and suffering disproportionately. One protester said she felt it was time for change: “We always have to take the blame for what the financial markets are doing. It can’t continue.”

Another man at outside the ECB building said radical action was needed: “Now is the time for a revolution.”

“We are the 99 per cent and we’re here for our freedom. We can’t let ourselves be treated like slaves of the powerful any longer. We don’t want that anymore,” said a young protester in Frankfurt.

Since the Occupy Wall Street protests began last month, the organisers have been trying to spread the message that they are part of the 99 per cent of America’s population defending themselves against the wealthiest one per cent. Demonstrators near Brandenburg Gate in Berlin echoed the same sentiment as they marched with banners reading ‘We are the 99 per cent’.