Take Away Homes And Food, Expect Violence -1 Million Protest In 80 Cities In Spain

Over 1 million protestors angry protesters in 80 cities clashed violently with police who used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse large crowds.

The political turmoil in Spain continues to spiral out of country as police now find themselves battling not just against ‘hooligans’ but against other police officers, fire-fighters, public service workers and people from all walks of life.

The protests come as the people of Spain as harsh austerity measures literally mean people are having food and homes taken away from them as part of plan to pay for continued banker bailouts and shore up a financial conundrum created by years of  corrupt politicians.

Shaking Spain: ‘Take away people’s food & homes – expect violence’

Police have used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse angry protesters thronging the streets of Spain. Dozens of people were injured and a number of activists detained during the latest nationwide anti-austerity demonstrations. In a major show of strength, hundreds of thousands have been taking part in the protests. People marched in 80 cities across the country to protest against more suffocating austerity which is to come. That’s after the German Parliament gave the green light to the 100-billion Euro bailout for the country’s battered banks. The EU’s finance ministers are now expected to approve the conditions for the financial lifeline to Madrid. Carlos Delclos, a sociologist at Pompeu Fabra University, believes the situation in Spain is only going to go from bad to worse.

Spain protests: Over a million march against harsh austerity

Over a million of government workers and trade union members marched in Barcelona, Madrid and dozens of smaller cities to protest against the latest round of harsh austerity measures designed to cut Spain’s bloated deficit. In almost 80 cities held demonstrations on Thursday which came after concerns over Spain’s attempts to restore market confidence in its economy resurfaced after a bond auction went poorly and its borrowing costs edged higher.

Spain clashes video: Violence erupts as million-plus protest in 80 cities

Spanish police have clashed with protesters who marched against the latest batch of austerity measures. Over a million public employees, trade union members and fed-up citizens have taken to the streets in over 80 Spanish cities. Violence erupted in Madrid around midnight. Police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd as it tried to reach the congress building. In some more urban areas, activists set garbage containers on fire and tried to block police vehicle access. No injuries or arrests have been reported.

More from RT:

Spanish rallies turn violent as million people protest in 80 cities

At least 15 people have been arrested and around 40 injured in central Madrid after police used force to disperse angry protesters that flooded the streets in outrage against the country’s latest austerity package.

­Over a million public employees, trade union members and fed-up citizens have taken to the streets in over 80 Spanish cities.

Violence erupted in Madrid around midnight after dozens of protesters reached the city’s Puerta del Sol square and clashed with riot police. Security forces used batons, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd as it tried to enter the congress building located on the square. Some of the protesters lobbed bottles at officers. At least 10 policemen were injured during the clashes in the capital.

In some urban areas, activists set trash cans on fire and tried to block police vehicle access with barricades of plastic bins and cardboard boxes.

Demonstrators carried flags and banners decorated with scissors, symbolizing the country’s harsh spending cuts. The streets of Madrid were paralyzed by the boundless crowds of people bellowing “Hands up, this is a robbery!” An estimated 100,000 people participated in the demonstrations in the capital.

In Barcelona, similar scenes were reported. About a dozen protesters were arrested outside the local parliament building.

Eight firemen stripped naked in the northern town of Mieres near Oviedo. “With so many cuts we have been left naked,” declared a banner on the wall above them.

The demonstrations were organized by unions who have been outraged by the government’s new measures. One such measure is an end to Christmas bonuses for civil servants, which amounts to a 3.5 to 7 per cent reduction in annual pay.

“There’s nothing we can do but take to the street. We have lost between 10 and 15 per cent of our pay in the past four years,” demonstrator Sara Alvera, 51, a worker in the justice sector, told AFP.

“We are two and a half million votes. I hope they are thinking about that,” said Jose Luis Martinez, 52, who works at the interior ministry, told Reuters.

“We have to make some noise, because they’re making fun of us and of all working people,” said Iria, 34, an auditor in the treasury.

­

Earlier Thursday, Spanish Parliament approved a new package of spending cuts and tax hikes aiming to save $80 billion in a bid to take a bite out of the budget deficit. Since the measure was announced last week, Spain has witnessed a series of daily demonstrations,

some of which have erupted into violence.

Europe’s fourth-largest economy also has the EU’s highest unemployment rate. About a quarter of working-age Spaniards are unable to find work.

Meanwhile, Germany’s lower house approved a $122 billion rescue package for Spanish banks in a bid to help the country cope with “excessive” market fears and prevent the eurozone’s debt crisis from spreading further.

Source: RT

Spain, Madrid: Riot policemen remain on a street of Madrid during a protest against the Spanish government’s latest austerity measures, on July 19, 2012. (AFP Photo / Pedro Armestre)

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