Madrid¡¯s Margaret Thatcher Square gets unofficial renaming

It¡¯s just over a week since Madrid¡¯s new Margaret Thatcher Square was inaugurated, but already it is becoming a focal point for protests in the capital city ¨C at least of the printed kind.

Just hours after Madrid Mayor Ana Botella presided over a ceremony to rename the plaza, which is located next to Madrid¡¯s central Col¨®n square, Hillsborough Justice Campaign stickers appeared on the plaza¡¯s signs, in reference to the English soccer tragedy of 1989, in which 96 people died in a crush at the Sheffield stadium. A sticker reading ¡°Don¡¯t buy The Sun¡± was also attached to the sign.

Both Mrs Thatcher¡¯s government and the UK daily were widely blamed for their botched handling of the disaster.

But on Tuesday evening, those stickers were no longer visible as a result of another protest. At around 7pm, a group of youngsters appeared in the square, and proceeded to ¡°rename¡± the plaza, sticking over signs reading ¡°Plaza de la Juventud Exiliada,¡± or Square of the Exiled Youth. The slogan is a reference to Spain¡¯s rampant youth unemployment, which stands at over 50 percent and has prompted many well-qualified youngsters to move to other countries, such as Germany and the UK, to find jobs.

After several minutes of work putting the fake signs in place ¨C all of which was recorded by their colleagues, as well as an EL PA?S journalist who happened to be in the square ¨C the job was done, and the group disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.

Passers-by were quick to take pictures of the group¡¯s handiwork, which may not stay there for long ¨C but judging by the first few weeks of the Plaza Margaret Thatcher square, it is unlikely to be the last protest to be seen there.