Despite this show of force groups of demonstrators formed up across the city, engaging in running battles with the police until they were forced to disperse, and then re-forming. At one point as many as 3,000 demonstrators were able to assemble before police began their onslaught. This went on from 10 in the morning until the early evening.
The concentration of police forces in Barcelona was so intense that it weakened the repressive ability of the police elsewhere in Catalonia. In the industrial town of Sabadell more than 2,000 workers held a rally at which local workers, leaders appealed for the construction of a genuine, free trade union move* What are the problems facing women today?
The position of women under the rule of fascist Spain still applies today in relation To sexuality. marriace ano tne tamiy ane in every aspect of women's lives. For instance, the husband, as head of the family, can make any and all decisions relating to his wife and children and the woman nas no eca nont to chanende Furthermore, under the infamous "social danger' law which has wide-ranging powers, thousands of women have been sentenced to prison or large fines for 'crimes' such as abortion, distribution or contraceptives, being gay, In addition to this. there are also many women political prisoners who have been tortured and imprisoned by the regime. The women's prisons are some of the worst in the country.
Finally, the present economic crisis, the massive increase in the cost of living, the crisis in building, health, schools, etc particularly affect women, and in the barrios (local districts) they have been playing a very important role in the struggle.
* Can you say something about the women's movement and how it began?
Well, vou must be clear that the women's movement is still in the process of being built. The Movement of Democratic Women (MDM), which has been in existence since 1966, is allied to the Communist Party and the positions of the Democratic Junta. The MDM has largely been concerned with organising women i take up the question of political but not on the question or women s oppression as a central point of depar ture.
current in Barcelona (in which 1 am active). As it suggests, the 'autonomous' current is fighting for an open and independent women s movement - Inat is, open to all women's groups and tendencies within the women's movement generally and not tied to any single political party or mass organisation.
the 'autonomous' current? Yes, First of all we have organised ourselves in groups in Ine airerent locall ties and each sends representatives to a mainly as an information body and if ittees, where the level of struggle is often series, play areas, tratric lignts, ambu lance services and many other questions. Many of us have played an active role in fighting for these demands but also tryine to take up wider questions or women s oDoression For example, we have produced a samoniet on contracestion and abortion (the first of its kind in Spain) on the basis of a woman's right to control her own body, which has been widely distributed (over 5,000 copies), and we have arqued that the demand for free contra ception and abortion/a woman's right to choose be taken up by the local neighbourhood committees.
Commissions recognise and take up demands relating to women? prisoners, or various democratic demands, relating to women, Other groups include the 'autonomous' the workforce.
*Can you tell us a little more about Inass cemonstrations Co-ordinating Committee, which functions necessary co-ordinates city-wide activities.
From the start we felt it was important to work in the neighbourhood commvery nign, taking up demands sucn as nur To what extent do the Workers This is a difficult problem, and we have to sav cuite cleany unar une workers Commissions have not taken up demands This does not mean to say that women have played no active role in the strike committees, assemblies, etc. On the contrary, more and more they are becoming active — esocciany, tor exampie, u Ene very militant strike at INGRA, which has lasted now for more than 80 days and where women make up the majority of Women too have been playing a prominent role in the current Telefonica strike, bot in the assemblies and in the * Have you been able to integrate some of the demands about women into the overall mobilisations against the regime? For example, it seems important that women who have been in prison under the laws relating to abortion, contraception, etc. should be included in the general demand for amnesty?
Yes, this has been an important initiative. On 8. March, to commemorate International Women's Day, the Co-ordinating Committee of the various women's roups organisco d demonstation to tne women's prison in Barcelona taking up cemanes for amnes™ tor all womer imprisoned under Franco's laws. The demonstration tcok place soon after the police murders in Vitoria, and when solidarity with the workers of Vitoria was raised some women left the demonOn the davs of action on 1 and 8 February, we agreed to intervene to take up various demands on women s rights. But the stewards of the Communist Party took our placards from us, using the excuse that it wasn't the proper place to raise these demands and that it would split the demonstration. We must be sure this does not happen again.
* What are your immediate perspectives?
We have planned a demonstration for 2 May which is 'Mothers Day'. This will take place in front of Barcelona's maternity nosoar. in Inis wav we want to expose 'Mothers Day' as a festival which aims to reinforce women's inferiority, glorifying the role of the woman in the home while at the same time denying her the right to control the number of children she has, or the right not to have any children at all.
We are demanding the right to contro our own bodies. and the treedon to use contraceptives. And since society does not give us the means to prevent pregnancy, we are campaigning for free abortion on demand in opam now we use every means possibie to make tne demands or women s liberation public. From 30 May there will take place in Barcelona 'the Catalan days for women'. This conference is legal and brings together different currents -from the neighbourhood committees, from the university, from the 'autonomous women's movement and from various social centres Each group is responsible for one particular theme: women and education; regislation, the tamily, sexuality: mas media; politics; etc. The 'autonomous' movement is responsible for the session on women and the mass media - magazines, television, films, etc. - and we hope to show it is possible for women to struggle against this systematic discrimination within the mass media For further information and messages of support, write to ANCHE. Via Lavetana 39, Barceiona, Spain.
Red Weekly 6 May 1976