Thousands of people gathered in several Spanish cities on Thursday to protest against austerity cuts and high unemployment.
Protesters came out and demonstrated in Madrid for a fourth straight day.
Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said that he supports the protesters and the right to go out and demonstrate against perceived injustices. “It’s a peaceful protest, it deserves our respect,” he said, according to AP.
In the European Union, Spain has the highest unemployment rate about 21 percent. Among those aged 18 to 25, the rate is much higher at 45 percent.
“We are either still living with our parents or having problems with our mortgages. Some of us have kids too,” Pedro Munoz, a protester at Puerta del Sol Square in Madrid, told Reuters.
In recent months, Spain has instated severe austerity cuts to deal with its mounting debt, a problem that has prompted other European nations like its neighbor Portugal and Ireland to get a bailout from the eurozone.
Despite cutting government costs to try to ease the debt, the austerity cuts have become increasingly unpopular in the country as well as in other European countries that have instated them.
Protesters came out and demonstrated in Madrid for a fourth straight day.
Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said that he supports the protesters and the right to go out and demonstrate against perceived injustices. “It’s a peaceful protest, it deserves our respect,” he said, according to AP.
In the European Union, Spain has the highest unemployment rate about 21 percent. Among those aged 18 to 25, the rate is much higher at 45 percent.
“We are either still living with our parents or having problems with our mortgages. Some of us have kids too,” Pedro Munoz, a protester at Puerta del Sol Square in Madrid, told Reuters.
In recent months, Spain has instated severe austerity cuts to deal with its mounting debt, a problem that has prompted other European nations like its neighbor Portugal and Ireland to get a bailout from the eurozone.
Despite cutting government costs to try to ease the debt, the austerity cuts have become increasingly unpopular in the country as well as in other European countries that have instated them.
