Dozens of brothers worked late last night in unison at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Complutense University to draw up the card with which these millions, students and young professors of the Madrid community will ask for a virtual mayor of its six public universities. The isolated village that formed Francisco de Goya May 3 in Madrid (Popularly known as Los Fusilamentos) In the past few weeks, teachers and students from all fine arts courses have been united, who have chosen this painting as the central motif of the solemn letter that will lead the protest demonstrations.
“We are this man in white, with our strong hands, resisting in front of those who want to shoot us,” explains Sata García, professor at Bellas Artes College and coordinator of the environment supported by nearly 200 students and teachers. One of the media pickets that will stretch across Ciudad University will take off from the college in the first hour, to encourage undecideds to join the protests. Especially those affiliated with the Polytechnic of Madrid, the university with which the Complutense University shares a campus in central Madrid. “There is an incredible impact on students, because the situation is very precarious at UCM, especially in our faculty, where teachers have to put money out of our pockets to purchase certain materials or resources that are necessary to continue progressing in the classroom,” Garcia adds.
Next to teacher Eker, 18 years old. He is a theorist of Goya’s message and explains how this protest led to demonstrating the value of art as a driver of change. “We defend art with art, it is very beautiful,” Matiza. “Being part of this movement made me see that what I learn here also has a very important social benefit. Therefore, I and my comrades want to continue to have access to a quality public university,” he argues in the face of the cartel that reminds students that “this building is not a bottle”, it is an organized business to fight for a common cause. “Don’t bring a drink. If you do, you’ll have to stay at the door.”
Raquel Monje, dean of the college, who also attended the meeting, is proud to have some “responsible, supportive and valuable” students like those who are part of this movement. “It is a great honour. He worked for weeks on the letters received by the students from the six universities, he organized this project flawlessly and next time he will be in the classroom,” he explains.
UCM spent months denouncing the “unbearable economic suffocation” through protests at various colleges. “Our main requirement is that the assumption of universities reaches 1% of the GDP of the Community of Madrid. Everything that does not represent a real approach to this horizon, we do not consider,” says García, as can also be read in the statement published by the coordination platform.
According to the first analyzes conducted by the UCM platform for the public, the assumed increase announced by the community for 2026 represents a step from 0.44% to 0.46% of GDP. He explained: “We cannot talk about anything going up, because we find ourselves facing a stagnant assumption, moreover in the context of infrastructure.”
“Marketing” for the Resistance Fund
During the night meeting, students, in addition, continued to make posters, T-shirts or underwear, among other clothing products. Promotion. “When we want to generate a box of resistance, we have to go to the indefinite color,” emphasizes Inma García, a 19-year-old student at the Faculty of Fine Arts who is very committed to the protests. He says: “We seek to produce visual materials that attract people’s attention on social media to make people aware of the disintegration we are experiencing among the public.”
Anxiety also passed, leading to continued growth, because the price of public registration in Madrid “now became unacceptable.” In other communities, it is free if the registrar approves. He emphasizes: “What we want is to continue studying in a dignified manner and for the university’s staff to also enjoy decent conditions.”
To illustrate her complaint, the student gives some examples: People who work as models for Dibujo or Sculpture put in very long hours because they have to cover for others; There are teachers who bear the burden of some chaperones so that students are not left without classes, “as there is no possibility of appointing substitutes under this assumption.” Departments lack the funds to meet any unforeseen expenses, no matter how small. In fact, since July 2024, colleges have 35% less money to spend.
“We have to pay for the whiteboard with which we will cover the murals that the students of this mission painted last year so that we can share our lives with us,” Inma says regretfully, adding that this kind of cost was previously covered by the university. He confirms, “My class instructors have been there for more than 30 years, and we cannot continue studying under these circumstances. There are many materials that were available in the college, and we have to buy new materials because they are old or deteriorating.”
A statement shared by the rest of his companions. Within a few hours, he defended the right to a quality public education with his best weapon: art.