MADRID - thousands of people gathered in makeshift camps of protest to the principal of the Spain cities Thursday to denounce the two major parties political nation as unable to deal with the economic woes of the country, including high unemployment rates.
The largest demonstration took place in the heart of Madrid for a fourth straight day.
At the same time, the National Office of the election of the judges and academics meets at Parliament to decide whether the protest camps are legal and should be allowed to continue through regional elections in Spain Sunday.
Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero decided Thursday to support the protesters while he was out of his campaign.
"It is a peaceful demonstration that it deserves our respect," Zapatero told a gathering of the Socialist Party in the Northwest A Coru?a. In a TV interview, he said politicians "must listen to because there are reasons for anger."
Taking the square protest group will continue the protests by election day "because we do not save any party political," said his spokesman, Santiago Roldan.
Spain only now recovering, albeit very slowly, almost two years of recession, and its unemployment rate has soared in the eurozone of 21.3%. Youth unemployment is over 40% in Spain, and the prospects for significant economic growth soon are slim.
In Madrid, Miguel Arrastia, 26, stated that the demonstrators are angry that spending cuts and other austerity measures imposed to deal with deficit of the Spain and other problems people suffer even more. It is a surveyor to unemployment.
"This protest is a spontaneous thing, and I think that happens at the right time, because it is just before the elections and we are showing that none is able to cope with this crisis," said.
Arrastia said that uplifts recent pro-democracy in North Africa and the Middle East served as an inspiration - a reminder of what can do people working together.
"They have influence because they have us given force." These people were able to stand up to dictators, then why not us "take on a political system stagnant at home, said Arrastia."
The demonstrators in Spain have a range of complaints, but are United behind the slogan of the "now genuine democracy."
A group of young people arrived at the central square of Puerta del Sol in Madrid with sleeping bags and port freshly printed T-shirts saying "Yes, we have camper."
Ramon Cotarelo, Professor of political science at the University Complutense of Madrid, said the protests, which began last weekend, are the result of a mixture of misfortunes and other factors. He cited the economic crisis, the contagion of the Arab countries, fast communication on the Internet, people are tired of ineffective and sometimes corrupt politicians, and elections in which some candidates are in fact under formal investigation for corruption.
"Suddenly, there is a spark and everything which explodes, Cotarelo has.
Crowds have also gathered in central squares in Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, Seville, Zaragoza and on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands and are are committed to stay there until after the weekend elections.
The Electoral Commission of Madrid has banned the demonstration on the square on Wednesday, saying: it may influence Sunday's election. But the decision seems to have the effect opposite and - driven social media messages - of thousands of people of all ages invasive in the square, packaging at midnight. Some police officers 500 riot was guard but did not intervene.
The final decision on the legality of the protest is the responsibility of the National Electoral Commission.
The demonstrations, organized initially by students and young unemployed and disgruntled, are an overflow of demonstrations countrywide Sunday. They have generated a lively debate across the country on how the crisis has been handled by politicians and financial institutions.
Zapatero ruling Socialist Party is tipped to suffer a resounding defeat in the elections. In turn, the main conservative opposition popular party should make a considerable profit.
General elections are not scheduled until 2012.
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Ciaran Giles and Daniel Woolls contributed to this report.
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