European Protesters Decry Austerity Plan

Huge anti-austerity protests took place Saturday in Spain, Portugal and Italy while Greek voters prepare to have their say about the cost-cutting measures in a key vote Sunday.

The largest confederation of Portuguese workers (the CGTP) organized a rally in Lisbon to protest against the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Commission – the institutions that are enforcing austerity, which is strangling some southern European countries. The confederation of Italian labor unions (CGIL ) organized protests to demand lower taxes for workers and retired people, more resources toward reducing unemployment, and more efforts by the government to catch tax evaders. In Spain’s capital Madrid, protesters rallied against government plans to save the country’s leading bank, Bankia. Euro zone leaders last week approved a $125 billion loan to shore up Spain’s leading banks which are in trouble, but warned of the need for economic reform. Protesters said the government is more concerned with saving the country’s financial systems than with easing austerity measures which hurt ordinary people.