spaniards pack madrid for rally against austerity measures
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Spaniards pack Madrid for rally against austerity measures

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Spaniards pack Madrid for rally against austerity measures

MADRID (AFP) - (AFP) - Tens of thousands of chanting protesters from across Spain packed the centre of Madrid on Saturday for a rally against government austerity measures aimed at avoiding the need for a bailout. The demonstrators included policemen in blue T-shirts, firemen with their red helmets, teachers decked out in matching green, healthcare workers in white and parents pushing strollers. Many blew whistles and chanted "we are not paying for this crisis" and "general strike now" as they marched to the Plaza Colon square for the rally. Over 1,000 buses had ferried people to the Spanish capital for the protest, which was organised by Spain's two leading trade unions, the CCOO and the UGT, along with roughly 150 smaller organisations. Organisers provided no estimate for the turnout but the government said around 65,000 people took part in the demonstration. "We want to say loud and clear to the government that we do not agree, that its policies cause too much damage, that we will not resign ourselves because there are alternatives," CCOO head Ignacio Toxo told the rally. In July, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government eliminated public workers' annual Christmas bonuses, as part of austerity measures worth 102 billion euros ($126.5 billion) to be put in place by 2014 to reduce Spain's public deficit. The loss of the Christmas bonuses is equivalent to a seven-percent cut in annual pay. The government's austerity measures also include an increase in sales tax and cuts to jobless benefits in a nation with nearly 25 percent unemployment. Already in 2010, public workers' salaries were cut by an average of five percent. "I see the future as very black," said 55-year-old public sector worker Rian de los Rios as she made her way to the rally. "My salary is getting smaller and smaller and my hours longer." Like thousands of other Spanish youths, her two daughters -- aged 26 and 28 -- had left Spain to work abroad because they could not find jobs at home despite having studied at university, she added. "We are not even able to keep our families together," said De Los Rios. Many protesters, like 44-year-old fireman Roberto Saldana, travelled all night by bus to attend the rally. "They have cut salaries, raised taxes -- we have gone backwards 20 or 30 years," said Saldana, who came to the rally with several colleagues from the southern city of Huelva. The government argues the austerity measures will prevent Spain from needing a multi-billion-euro bailout like the ones received by Greece, Ireland and Portugal, which come with detailed conditions and regular inspections. "These sacrifices are absolutely unavoidable if we are to correct the difficult economic climate we are experiencing and lay the foundations for a recovery," Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos told reporters in Cyprus. Madrid has already accepted a eurozone rescue loan of up to 100 billion euros to save its banks, still reeling from a 2008 property market crash. The protesters demanded a referendum on the deficit-reduction strategy of cost-cutting and tax hikes put in place by the government since it took office in December. "I think a referendum is necessary because the government should listen to what the people want," said Isabel Garcia, a 48-year-old telemarketing worker. But she added: "Right now it seems like they have plugs in their ears." UGT head Candido Mendez said Saturday's rally was the start of a "long" fight against the austerity measures. "We have to fight them democratically as we are doing today," he told the crowd gathered at Plaza Colon. Railway workers, along with metro workers in Madrid and Barcelona, will stage a one-day strike on Monday over the austerity measures. The government is committed to lowering Spain's deficit to 6.3 percent of output this year from 8.9 percent in 2011.  

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

spaniards pack madrid for rally against austerity measures spaniards pack madrid for rally against austerity measures

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

spaniards pack madrid for rally against austerity measures spaniards pack madrid for rally against austerity measures

 



GMT 12:48 2016 Sunday ,27 November

Cilic, Dodig push Croatia to brink of Davis Cup

GMT 05:24 2017 Thursday ,28 December

Erdogan says 'terrorist' Assad cannot be part of Syria

GMT 12:59 2016 Saturday ,05 November

WB welcomes economic reforms in Egypt

GMT 18:40 2016 Saturday ,05 November

Egyptian GDRs in London down

GMT 10:57 2017 Wednesday ,06 December

Peru striker Guerrero has doping ban extended

GMT 17:51 2017 Tuesday ,07 March

Trump Signs New Travel Ban on Six Muslim Countries

GMT 10:30 2017 Wednesday ,06 September

Saudi Information Ministry praises media role during Hajj

GMT 15:29 2017 Tuesday ,24 January

Mind games really do help your brain

GMT 06:55 2015 Thursday ,01 October

Boston Red Sox beat Yankees

GMT 08:17 2017 Monday ,28 August

Bahrain celebrates World Humanitarian Day 2017

GMT 02:07 2017 Tuesday ,28 February

Opposition seeks Russian support at Syria talks
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday