Massive Anti-Austerity protests sweep across Europe

Europe is protesting because the general public is being forced to pay for the mistakes of bankers and politicians. 


Tens of thousands of workers marched through the streets of Europe, decrying the loss of jobs and benefits they fear will come with stinging austerity measures seeking to contain government debt. Police fired shots in the air to disperse protesters at a general strike in Spain. Greek bus and trolley drivers walked off the job, joined by doctors who staged a 24-hour strike at state hospitals. A crowd of millions marched in Europe. From Ireland to Greece, workers united around the theme that they are victims of a debt crisis caused by reckless high-spending bankers undermining Europe's cherished welfare state. They complained of higher taxes, job cuts, soaring unemployment and smaller pensions.

Italy's capital Rome has come to a standstill as tens of thousands of students have once again staged a protest against the government's austerity plans.

Up to 50,000 students paraded throughout the city on Tuesday as part of nationwide anti-government protests.

Organizers called the demonstrations “Block Everything Day."

Greek journalists strike over pay cuts

The 24-hour strike has put a halt to news programs, website updates and newspaper publications, with many of the Greece's state and private TV channels broadcasting cartoons instead of news programs.

British students in fresh protests

Tens of thousands of school, college and university students were expected to protest against education cuts on the third day of demonstrations this month. 

Aaron Porter, the president of the National Union of Students (NUS) also wrote to Clegg, calling the Lib Dems' U-turn on tuition fees a “betrayal.” 

Massive anti-govt. protests held in Italy

More than 100,000 demonstrators joined members of Italy's largest labor union to protest against the austerity plans proposed by the government. 

Portugal at standstill over strikes

Portugal's biggest trade unions stage a 24-hour general strike, the first in over two decades, to protest at the government's austerity measures. 

New France strikes to follow Senate passage of pension law

Nearly 70 percent public support for strikes

Germans protest austerity package

German protesters have gathered outside the parliament building in the capital city Berlin to show their anger at the government's austerity package.

Nearly 100,000 Germans marched across the country in Stuttgart, Dortmund, Nuremberg and Erfurt. 

Thousands of Irish protest austerity cuts

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE have turned out for austerity protests in Dublin.

Belgium

  Tens of thousands of angry workers marched through cities across Europe to protest against the wave of government austerity measures that have swept through the region over the past year. A procession of roughly 100,000 people snaked through the streets of Brussels, a pointed jibe at the bankers many blame for the current crisis. 

Czech Republic

  

 Police officers, firefighters, soldiers and nurses were among tens of thousands protesting in Prague on Tuesday over government plans to slash salaries. Between 25,000 and 30,000 people from across the Czech Republic took part in the protest, according to official police figures. The demonstration, the country's biggest labor protest of the past three years, brought traffic in some parts of the city to a halt.

Poland

  Representatives of the All Poland Trade Union Agreement (OPZZ) and Solidarity are holding a demonstration in Warsaw. Held under the motto "NO for budget cuts, YES for job security and economic growth," the protest is part of an international action by the European Trade Union Confederation. Similar protests have been organized in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Romania, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Lithuania, Latvia and Cyprus.

Romania

  Thousands of Romanian clerks, nurses and teachers marched through the capital Bucharest on Wednesday protesting against tax hikes and state-sector wage cuts, but the demonstration looked unlikely to sway policy.  Around 17,000 people protested outside government headquarters in Bucharest.

Spain

  Leftist demonstrators clashed with police and set fire to a police car and rubbish bins in Barcelona on the margins of a nationwide general strike. Spanish unions launched a 24-hour nationwide general strike Wednesday to protest the socialist government's tough labour reforms and austerity measures aimed at slashing unemployment and reviving the battered economy.