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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Protests break out in Spain, Portugal

Demonstrators upset over austerity measures

Police clash with protesters during a demonstration Saturday in Madrid against newly proposed austerity measures. (Associated Press)
Alan Clendenning Associated Press

MADRID – Tens of thousands of Spaniards and Portuguese rallied in the streets of their countries’ capitals Saturday to protest enduring economic pain from austerity measure, and the demonstration in Madrid turned violent after Spaniards enraged over a long-lasting recession and sky-high unemployment clashed with riot police for the third time in less than a week near Parliament.

The latest violence came after thousands of Spaniards who had marched close to the Parliament building in downtown Madrid protested peacefully for hours. Police with batons later moved in just before midnight to clear out those who remained late because no permission had been obtained from authorities to hold the demonstration.

Some protesters responded by throwing bottles and rocks. An Associated Press photographer saw police severely beat one protester who was taken away in an ambulance.

Spain’s state TV said early today that two people were hurt and 12 detained near the barricades erected in downtown Madrid to shield the Parliament building. Television images showed police charging protesters and hitting them with their batons, but the violence did not appear as severe as a protest on Tuesday when 38 people were arrested and 64 injured.

Earlier, the boisterous crowds let off ear-splitting whistles and yelled “Fire them, fire them!” – referring to the conservative government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, and venting their anger against tax hikes, government spending cuts and the highest unemployment rate among the 17 nations that use the euro currency.

On Friday, Rajoy’s administration presented a 2013 draft budget that will cut overall spending by $51.7 billion, freezing the salaries of public workers, cutting spending for unemployment benefits and even reducing spending for Spain’s royal family next year by 4 percent.

Madrid authorities put the number of protesters at 4,500 – though demonstrators said the crowd was larger.

In neighboring Portugal, tens of thousands took to the streets of Lisbon Saturday afternoon to peacefully protest against even deeper austerity cutbacks than Spain has imposed.

Retired banker Antonio Trinidade said the budget cuts Portugal is locked into in return for the nation’s $101 billion bailout are making the country’s economy the worst he has seen in his lifetime. His pension has been cut, and he said countless young Portuguese are increasingly heading abroad because they can’t make a living at home.

“The young don’t have any future, and the country is on the edge of an abyss,” Trinidade said. “I’m getting toward the end of my life, but these people in their 20s or 30s don’t have jobs, or a future.”