ABSTRACT
The topic of the convergence between different social movements has been seldom explored by social movement scholars. This chapter argues that the 15M and the squatters' movements experienced such a convergence. It describes both the transnational and local scope of the 15M as an anti-neoliberal contestation. The chapter explains how and why squatters joined the 15M and, vice versa, how 15M activists approached squatting. It also provides evidence about the utilitarian role that existing squatted social centers played in the 15M. The chapter further shows how an explosion of new squats took place once the occupied squares were cleared and 15M activists began participating in squatting actions. Compared to activists in the late 1970s, 15M participants seem to mobilize faster, while facing lower levels of repression when occupying public spaces. A particular feature of the 15M movement is the crucial role that the Sol camp and the occupation of public space played in the movement's identity.
