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Thousands march against Spain's high unemployment and austerity

Spain’s prime minister said he expected today’s marches to pass off peacefully, despite violence erupting at Wednesday’s protest in Barcelona.

SPANISH PROTESTERS of all stripes — young and old, working and unemployed — marched today in Madrid to drive home their anger over high unemployment, bleak economic prospects and politicians they see as inept.

Similar demonstrations were being held later in other cities including northern Barcelona, eastern Valencia and southern Seville. Police were out in force after a Wednesday protest in Barcelona turned violent.

Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said he expected the protests to be peaceful.

“A sacred rule of democracy is that in the exercise of rights you do so peacefully,” he said.

Highest eurozone unemployment

Nearly two years of recession have left Spain with a 21.3-per cent unemployment rate — the highest in the 17-nation eurozone — and saddled with debt. The jobless rate, which has more than doubled since 2007, jumps to 35 per cent for people aged 16 to 29. Many young, highly educated Spaniards can’t find jobs as the eurozone’s No 4 economy struggles with low growth.

Protests began 15 May and spread to cities across the country, striking a chord with hundreds of thousands fed-up with the wage cuts and tax hikes needed to resolve a financial crisis they see as created by banks and wealthy developers.

Protester Antonio Cortes, 58, said Spain’s workers were being asked to bear the brunt of the financial crisis:

This crisis was created by the capitalist financial system and we are paying for it. All the cuts shouldn’t be aimed at the working class.

Marchers departed from six points around Madrid bearing banners saying “Let’s march together against the crisis,” heading to Neptuno square near the country’s parliament building.

Zapatero’s government has tackled the crisis by cutting government spending, freezing pensions, raising the retirement age and making it easier and cheaper for companies to lay people off.

Spain slipped into recession in 2008 after a real estate bubble burst, halting a credit-fuelled consumer spending spree.

It has not needed or sought an international bailout like fellow eurozone members Greece, Ireland and Portugal, but its financial troubles strike fear in other European capitals due to the sheer size of its economy.

- AP

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    Mute Sean O'Keeffe
    Favourite Sean O'Keeffe
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    Sep 7th 2011, 4:31 PM

    A TD’s for life (pension) and not just for Christmas.
    Reduce the number of Dail seats.
    http://www.wethecitizens.ie/talk/article/reducing_the_size_and_cost_of_government

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    Mute Cormac Laffan
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    Sep 7th 2011, 7:06 PM

    Intresting link Sean. I don’t think these turkeys will vote for Christmas though.

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    Mute jchizle
    Favourite jchizle
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    Sep 7th 2011, 4:34 PM

    How do I run for it?

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    Mute Declan Pollard
    Favourite Declan Pollard
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    Sep 7th 2011, 9:03 PM

    Fianna Fail, the soldiers of our failed destiny, would be wise not to run a candidate for the by-election. Sure, why would they anyway: won’t they have made Fianna Fail history by not having “one” TD in the whole of Dublin. Maybe, one day, they could even do one better by not having one in the whole country!

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    Mute David Higgins
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    Sep 7th 2011, 4:25 PM

    Rumours that Pat Cox will be the Fine Gael candidate.

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    Mute Tony Stamper
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    Sep 8th 2011, 12:46 AM

    As someone who disagrees on most things with FG I still feel compelled to ask not to screw things up for yourselves in this by-election. Pat friggin Cox – Mister 7 pensions and still only 59. Mr. EU insider who has a lobby company advising Multi nationals on how to deal with the EU. A hopper from party to party, depending on which one is good for Pat Cox. Jesus if ye want to cement your party as a Golden Circle gombeen outfit go for it but it will be a chocking mistake all too familiar to FF activists. HQ knows best etc etc etc.

    Say it ain’t so Dave, say it ain’t so?

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    Mute Zara Gaines
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    Sep 7th 2011, 4:56 PM

    More money wasted to find a waster to pension off! Great

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    Mute Sean O'Keeffe
    Favourite Sean O'Keeffe
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    Sep 7th 2011, 5:40 PM

    I favor the policy of economy, not because I wish to save money, but because I wish to save people. The men and women of this country who toil are the ones who bear the cost of the Government. Every dollar that we carelessly waste means that their life will be so much the more meager. Every dollar that we prudently save means that their life will be so much the more abundant. Economy is idealism in its most practical form.
    C Coolidge

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    Mute Daniel Doran
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    Sep 7th 2011, 6:47 PM

    Kieran Dennison will take this seat for Fine Gael. He was only just edged out by Brian Linehan in February. Fine Gael are at 44% in the polls, up from 36% in February. The only other Fine Gael TD in that constituency is Leo Varadkar, so it would be good for them to have a back bencher as well as a Minister.

    Labour are down to 12% in the polls, I don’t see them getting this seat. Fianna FAIL are at 15% but nobody is gonna vote for them. Anyone else is so low in the rankings it wouldn’t matter. To take this potential victory away from Fine Gael would need a real game changer, real star quality.

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    Mute John Woods
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    Sep 7th 2011, 6:55 PM

    Comment of the year there Daniel, Fianna fail at 15% but nobody going to vote for them. Pmsl. I bet maths wasn’t your strong subject at school (:
    Last FF seat in Dublin now gone, amazing turnaround and rightly so.

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    Mute Daniel Doran
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    Sep 7th 2011, 7:01 PM

    Clearly someone will vote for them, what I am saying is they won’t take the seat. Try not to take everything you read literally.

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    Mute Daniel Doran
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    Sep 7th 2011, 7:07 PM

    Yes obviously they will get some votes, but they won’t take the seat, that’s what I am saying. Try not to take everything you read literally.

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