In the wake of the present financial crisis
that has troubled the country of Spain, angry protesters hurled dangerous
objects at the police in violent clashes that saw 29 people injured including
police officers, and 40 others arrested, according to emergency services.
Dubbed the ‘Marea Cuidadana’ (Tide of
Citizens), the demonstrations (which were conducted in major cities like
Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Zaragoza) coincided with the release of Spain’s
latest unemployment rate, which has grown past 26%, putting the number of
unemployed at 6.2 million.
According to protesters, the increasing
austerity cuts were the bringing untold suffering to the less-privileged.
Initially, the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was about to display
a further package of economic reforms on Friday to be launched by 2015.
According to a protester, the cuts not only
affect the education budget, but also health, justice and social programs. It
is as though the plan was designed to ‘prevent the state being one that takes
care of its citizens.’
Another protester, activist Sofia de Roa, told
CNN, ‘it is a shame what the government does; they operate as a totalitarian
government with their cuts that are affecting everyone, especially in the
public sector. The inequality in this country is horrific.’
She added, ‘there are thousands of reasons for
coming out to protest today. We are angry and tired. This government doesn’t
listen to our calls for help. They treat us like idiots. And not only aren’t
they listening to our protests, they even criminalize our actions.’
The unemployment rise in Spain has forced
thousands of people to leave their jobs in search of greener pasture. Some are
unable to afford the mortgage on their homes that are not worth the prices they
paid for them.
Members of civil society groups and workers’ unions joined forces to organize mass protests across the country.
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