Community | September 29, 2010 | 30 comments

European Cities Hit By Anti-Austerity Protests

source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11432579

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Protesters take to the streets in Barcelona, Athens and Brussels

Tens of thousands of people from around Europe have marched across Brussels in a protest against spending cuts by some EU governments.

Spain has held a general strike, with protesters in Barcelona clashing with police and torching a police car.

Other protests against austerity measures have been held in Greece, Italy, the Irish Republic and Latvia.

Trade unions say EU workers may become the biggest victims of a financial crisis set off by bankers and traders.

Many governments across the 27-member bloc have imposed punishing cuts in wages, pensions and employment to deal with spiralling debts.

On Wednesday night, Portugal's minority government announced proposals to cut civil servants' pay and state spending while raising taxes in an attempt to lower the country's debt levels.

In Greece and the Irish Republic, unemployment figures are at their highest level in 10 years, while Spain's unemployment has doubled in just three years.

In Britain the government is planning to slash spending by up to 25% in some areas, while France has seen angry protests against a planned increase in the minimum retirement age.
Firecrackers

Police sealed off the EU headquarters and barricaded banks and shops ahead of the protest in Brussels. It was described by unions as a day of action under the slogan "No to austerity, priority to jobs and growth".

Tens of thousands of demonstrators, many carrying large red and green balloons and banners, headed towards EU institution buildings in the Belgian capital.

They made heard their voices, whistles, horns and anything else they could find, says the BBC's Nick Childs in the city, amid the sound and smoke of firecrackers.

Speaking at the march, Jean Claude Mailly, head of the French union Force Ouvriere, said there was still time to rethink the austerity measures.

"It is never too late because the austerity measures are in the process of being set up now," he told the BBC.

"So we are in a period where social movements of a different nature will have a big value in the weeks and months to come. There is a strong social tension."

Labour unions in Spain began the country's first general strike in eight years by marching through the capital, Madrid, in an effort to shut down the city.

Also in the capital, there were mass protests outside bus and metro stations, and few buses were running. Many high-speed trains were cancelled and only about a quarter of commuter trains were running.

Groups of strikers went into shops and banks trying to force them to close.

The airline Iberia said it expected to operate only 35% of scheduled flights.
'Banks to blame'

In the Irish Republic, a man drove a cement mixer covered with anti-bank slogans into the gates of the parliament in Dublin, in an apparent protest at the country's expensive bank bail-out.

The European Trade Union Confederation (Etuc) said the protesters were marching to voice their anger over budget-slashing plans and cuts which "could lead Europe into a recession".

The union warns that the financial crisis - which it describes as the worst in Europe since the 1930s - has already made 23 million people across the EU jobless. It fears that the austerity measures being implemented by various EU governments could "result in even more unemployment".

"We didn't cause this crisis. The bill has to be paid by banks, not by workers," Etuc said.

Instead, the organisation urges governments to guarantee workers stable jobs, strong social protection and better pensions.

Workers in many EU countries are frustrated that they are paying for the mistakes of the banks and the financial sector, the BBC's Christian Fraser in Brussels reports.

The recovery is still fragile. In some countries it has not even begun, and many fear the cuts could provoke further trouble, our correspondent says.

He adds that in short, it is a debate on austerity versus stimulus, cuts or spending, and the opinions are deeply and bitterly divided.
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30 comments // European Cities Hit By Anti-Austerity Protests

  • JohnA
    • 0
      JohnA  

    • We have something to look forward to in the US. And not very far down the road judging by our national debt.

    • 1 year ago
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  
    • JohnA:

      Did you ignore that part in my post where I said during WWII we were spending 30% of GDP every year on the war and then had two decades of the best economy America has ever seen?

    • 1 year ago
  • Saladin
    • -1
      Saladin  

    • You guys are missing the point, totally and utterly.

      The social systems set up in Europe have been stable since World War II. Nobody ever went bankrupt for having universal healthcare or basic workers' rights.

      So the notion that countries have to "tighten their belts" to get rid of debt is asinine.

      Tax revenues have fallen because of the recession. So obviously the answer is to fix your fucking economy so that they go back up, not degrade your standard of living to a period of recession permanently.

      Here's the REAL issue, austerity does NOTHING to solve the actual problem. Getting rid of government debt does not get rid of unemployment, it does not bring investment back, it does not stabilize the economy and in the long run, it doesn't even solve the debt problem.

      Worse, if it causes deflation (which is entirely possible) then you could have ANOTHER crash, leaving you in a way worse position then when you started.

      The answer to government debt right now is, counter-intuitively, deficit spending. Because it doesn't matter if you balance the budget if your fucking economy is broken.

      All you're doing is sitting on a nice, manageable government debt with double-digit unemployment, falling wages and drying investment. Guess what that does long-term?

      The United States spent 30% of fucking GDP in WWII on government debt and then we had the largest growth and period of prosperity ever in the 1950's and 60's.

    • 1 year ago
  • JohnA
  • ayipis
    • 0
      ayipis  
    • Saladin:

      believe what you want to believe but bottomline is....these socialist government CANNOT afford to throw money away on overpaid lazy fucks...

      labor union workers wants to remain paid huge amount of money for less work and more benefits and perks..when time was good YES leech off as much as you want but now....its falling apart because the "cow died"

      and btw...I think europe needs your economic brilliance..you should go and show them your civic responsibility and save them...

      what they are trying to do now is the opposite of what is fucking them over..

    • 1 year ago
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  
    • JohnA:

      News flash, everyone everywhere is always in debt. Even you, it's called a mortgage or a car payment or any of the other basic things that keep the economy rolling.

      Capitalism is ABOUT debt. That's what the word capital means, a large chunk of cash you intend to loan to somebody for profit.

      Debt is not a problem so long as the debt is manageable. You can go your whole life in debt and not have a single financial problem and vice versa.

      And that's exactly what European countries have done for 60 years. But now, suddenly, it's evil socialist programs that are running them down?

      No, it's a recession, the worst in a generation. Some crazy shit is to be expected.

    • 1 year ago
  • Saladin
    • +1
      Saladin  
    • ayipis:

      I love how you start your post with "believe whatever you want" and then don't attempt to address what I've said and flatly state things I've just contradicted.

      Believe whatever you want, you don't even understand what's going on, let alone how to fix it.

    • 1 year ago
  • PigFarmington
  • ayipis
    • 0
      ayipis  
    • PigFarmington:

      ..you can either cut what you have or you swim in neck deep in muslim fundamentalism..

      how do you like fearing for your life everytime you hop on a train to go to work???

      your choice...

      a famous liberal once said. "ask not what your country can do for you...ask what you can do for your country"

      of course modern day liberals dont see it that way..all they want is high pay..easy job..no accountability..no responsibility and get high...

    • 1 year ago
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  
    • ayipis:

      I've never once feared for my life when I step on a train, and I would gladly sacrifice it if it meant holding to freedoms as basic as habeas corpus.

      And since liberals don't receive half the things they advocate for, it's pretty laughable that you think a sense of civic responsibility to others is selfish.

      I know you stayed up all night thinking up these talking points, but let me spoil the ending for you.

      You will never be able to intelligently defend a stupid position.

    • 1 year ago
  • ayipis
    • 0
      ayipis  
    • Saladin:

      you never fear because as pigfamington said..our troops are OUT there fighting to keep them there AND AWAY FROM YOUR TRAIN..

      in this case those "liberals" ARE GETTING WAY MORE than they advocate all the way to the point that they bled the cash cow dry..and trust me when i say this...if 'civic responsibility is human nature" then kennedy would had reminded people about it..

      those labor unions wants to maintain the status quo of high salary..light work load and welfare benefits FOR THEMSELVES that is MORE that what an ordinary worker would get...and they dont care if the government would go broke...

      well you better tell Spain your intelligent position because they fucking need it right now....

    • 1 year ago
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  
    • ayipis:

      Our troops are out there fighting a war in Iraq for lies and profit and a war in Afghanistan because Bush fucked it up and now we're stuck there with no way out and less safe than when we started.

      Our troops do not "protect" us, that's the whole fucking point of terrorism. The world's largest army and best intelligence doesn't protect you from a guy with a boxcutter and some stealthy planning.

      Let me know when you get over talking points most people realize are stupid in fourth grade, maybe then we can continue this conversation.

    • 1 year ago
  • ayipis
  • PigFarmington
  • ayipis
    • 0
      ayipis  
    • PigFarmington:

      i am sure you would never bring on the table the kind of perks and money these so called poor workers are getting....hey i have to admit its attractive..the pay..the pension..the days off....

      the european government CAN NO LONGER SUSTAIN this kind of union "perks"...

      bottomline, as much as these socialist nations wants to continue with this PARTY..they cant afford it...

    • 1 year ago
  • chris50
    • 0
      chris50  
    • ayipis:

      Ok I can only say that by your responses that you did not read the article. Either that or you are on some powerful drug. What in the HE.....LLL are you talking about. Your comments make no sense at all. Please stop posting stupidity, I beg of you.

    • 1 year ago
  • ayipis
    • 0
      ayipis  
    • chris50:

      LOL....now that is an intelligent retort as well...next time put something a little close to the issue at hand...

      let me hold you by the hand and lets take it by steps...what part of the article are you talking about?

    • 1 year ago
  • ayipis
  • ezrierin
    • +1
      ezrierin  

    • Here is what I am wondering, I mean lets get real. How long until the Europeans begin to put the blame where it belongs, the United States. We were the ones who had Bush and his people in power. They promoted the vision of Free Trade without any restrictions, a gang land mentality. The Europeans followed us believing in the US, trusting us and our economic model. Then the entire US borrow and spend while exporting jobs mentality left us without a means of supporting ourselves. Bush and his bookies stole all the money and could not pay out to winners. European investments in the US and Europe tanked. The money did not run out, it was never there. The wealth had been transferred into the pockets of the wealthy during the Bush years. People were paid with paper loans that had no collateral in real work dollars. Not taxing the wealthy took much of the money over the years, as we ran up debts the wealthy were never required to pay anything as citizens. Most of the bail out money has been paid back, but not until the corporations and banks invested the loans over seas in slave wage labor where the production is.
      If I were Europe I would cut ties to the US economically. Europe cannot deal with a country that runs its economics on criminal enterprise.
      The Europeans have tasted socialism. They know good socialism works for everyone. Wealth may not come easy, but good food, a roof, retirement early in health, living wage and social security, socialized medicine, all these can be provided by socialism. How do they know? Because before they bought into Bush style Reaganomics, the Europeans where economically sound with socialist economics over capitalism.
      They are going back to the old workable model. Socialism as the cake, capitalism as icing. They will stop dealing with us, and we will grow poorer for it.
      They may even stop allowing imports to create jobs, and hang the world if it says their currency is weak. The Europeans will seek self reliance before world economic opinion.
      Honestly, I think some times it’s time to jump ship. The US has had no promise as a land for a long time. The American people do not have the experience or education to understand the benefits of socialism as of yet. Right now the fix is in; no one else rises as the top goes higher. Unless you are married into the Mafia Economics, you are little people forever.
      Eventually when the bread runs out, we may embrace socialism in desperation. Then we will evolve for the better. But not before we suffer the curses of the damned.

    • 1 year ago
  • UrbanGypsy
    • 0
      UrbanGypsy  
    • ezrierin:

      Ezri, the interesting thing is that running these deficits to finance social programs, pensions and public sector jobs has been policy in countries like Greece since way before the Bush administration came to office in 2000.

      In Greece the debt to GDP ratio has been above 100% since 1993, long before George W. Bush came to office. Blaming the Bush administration and saying that there is nothing wrong with the European welfare state is wishful thinking and avoiding the real problem - the expensive cost of European welfare models.

      If we really wanted to try the European welfare model be we'd be seeing tax rates of close to 50% of personal income on average people. With the way people in this country complain about taxes, I get the feeling that it won't be popular.

      Some of us do not want to work for others the rest of our lives.

      And let's please agree to stop calling it Socialism. There are way too many people out here who seem to think that Socialism means the same thing as Welfare State. It is not the same thing. The Welfare State relies on the free market and simply imposes a system of redistribution of wealth through high taxation and social programs. Socialism involves the implementation of central planning and the elimination of private ownership of the means of production.

      The Welfare state is sustainable and realistic, as long as you implement high taxation. Socialism, on the other hand, is a utopian model that has never proven itself to work. Let us stop confusing the two terms.

      I see too many people who are proponents of the Welfare state, who call themselves "socialists." they ARE NOT THE SAME THING. REAL socialists are using the left's yearning for the implementation of the welfare state to confuse many liberals into thinking that they are socialists.

    • 1 year ago
  • ezrierin
    • 0
      ezrierin  
    • UrbanGypsy:

      Silly you. You have to pay for all that in the private sector. If it were all socialized, there would be no profit margins. Pay the people a living wage plus a bonus for higher education. Entry-level people get a living wage. Then, because people would have jobs, capitalism can be used to make a buck. Nothing wrong with a bigger whatever, within ecological reason. We get the benefits of capitalism with the social safety foundation for everyone.
      What Gypsy, we are not smart enough to be humane and wealthy? Its Democracy controls socialism, socialism tames capitalism, capitalism secures Democracy and on and on.
      But you are still sweet. :)

    • 1 year ago
  • UrbanGypsy
  • ayipis
  • PigFarmington
    • 0
      PigFarmington  
    • ezrierin:

      "They promoted the vision of Free Trade without any restrictions, a gang land mentality."

      You should have said the "promote". Look at what's happening in Pakistan. We bomb the innocent, they attempt to block supplies to Afghanistan... we threaten to bomb them more if they don't stop. Ah, democracy

    • 1 year ago
  • JohnA
    • 0
      JohnA  
    • ezrierin:

      You can always leave and cut ties now. No one is forcing you to stay here if you hate America so bad. Fuck Reagan, we were doing great under Bubba, how about we go back to that. You "progressives" love Bubba on the campaign trail, but you would never vote for him.

    • 1 year ago
  • JohnA
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  
    • UrbanGypsy:

      What people are having half their income taxed? Not you or me, not even close.

      And what, in your opinion, is worse. Someone leeching off weaknesses in a public system that OVERWHELMINGLY protects people who need it or tens of thousands dying every year because we decided private insurance companies ought to run our healthcare system for profit?

    • 1 year ago
  • UrbanGypsy
    • +1
      UrbanGypsy  

    • Or they could continue spending wildly and end up like Greece. Either way, the Europeans will end up getting angry and going to the streets. I actually wish that they kept spending, so that they can see the effects.

      The Greek government is seeing the end effects of a long program of running large deficits to finance public sector jobs, pensions, and other social benefits. Greece has been the typical example of a country that has given out more than it could without having the money to pay for it.

    • 1 year ago
  • toyotabedzrock
    • +1
      toyotabedzrock  

    • Not a good time to be a banker in this world. And to think our banks say we are picking on them! There lucky not to be hanging from a pitch fork!

    • 1 year ago
  • ayipis
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