We were in Plaza Sant Jaume from noon ‘til midnight. The day started with a platform of women stating their case against the war and military budgets; mothers, housewives, immigrant women, women with disabilities, widows, teachers, lesbian women, sex workers, women involved in the fight for the right to breastfeed, church women, younger women…A Venezuelan woman read the declaration of support for the strike from the Venezuelan government, and a statement from domestic workers in the Basque country was read out. Pop star Amparanoia explained why she supports the strike and then the music, dance, theatre and circus performances started. Women, children and men enjoyed food from the Philippines, Columbia, Brazil, and also vegetarian food from Spain. The stage was decorated with six banners saying “Global Women’s Strike - Stop the world and change it” in six languages: Spanish, Catalan, Arabic, Urdu, Basque and English. At the top of the stage a banner said “Invest in Caring not Killing”. Placards showed figures of military budgets and profits of some multinationals. Other placards showed what women would spend this money on: pensions, land, wages... 

An interview with women on strike in London was broadcast through loudspeakers. There was an hour of activities for children, and the city council provided free childcare from noon until 10pm. Later the annual International Women’s Day march joined the Strike at the square, making us 4,000 people. The evening session was opened with a presentation about the Strike including Strike actions in other countries. People really clapped especially when the speaker said we want military budgets, women started shouting "No a la guerra! Vaga general!" (No war! General Strike!) The video compilation of Strike actions all over the world in 2000 was shown on a big screen. 

Later a video showing the police violently evicting anti-war squatters in Barcelona a few days earlier was shown, and squatter women read a statement, saying things like, Evict war from the world. Music and dancing went on until midnight.