Clashes erupt in European anti-austerity protests
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Police officers try to push protesters back onto the pavement after they blocked traffic on Oxford Street, London, whilst taking part in a picket and demonstration they said was over dismissals of 28 workers employed by contractors on the Crossrail transport project, for being trade union members, Wednesday, Nov 14, 2012. The protest was held to coincide with planned European strikes on Wednesday in Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, France and Belgium against austerity measures and economic reforms. -- PHOTO: AP
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A protester shouts slogans during an anti-austerity protest in Athens on Nov 14, 2012. Riot police and anti-austerity protesters clashed in Spain and Italy today as anger boiled over on a Europe-wide day of strikes and mass demonstrations. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Policemen detain a man as protesters clash with police during a 24-hour nationwide general strike in central Madrid Nov 14, 2012. Police and protesters clashed in Spain and Italy on Wednesday as millions of workers went on strike across Europe to protest against spending cuts they say have made the economic crisis worse. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Police officers try to push protesters back onto the pavement after they blocked traffic on Oxford Street, London, whilst taking part in a picket and demonstration they said was over dismissals of 28 workers employed by contractors on the Crossrail transport project, for being trade union members, Wednesday, Nov 14, 2012. The protest was held to coincide with planned European strikes on Wednesday in Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, France and Belgium against austerity measures and economic reforms. -- PHOTO: AP
A protester shouts slogans during an anti-austerity protest in Athens on Nov 14, 2012. Riot police and anti-austerity protesters clashed in Spain and Italy today as anger boiled over on a Europe-wide day of strikes and mass demonstrations. -- PHOTO: AFP
Policemen detain a man as protesters clash with police during a 24-hour nationwide general strike in central Madrid Nov 14, 2012. Police and protesters clashed in Spain and Italy on Wednesday as millions of workers went on strike across Europe to protest against spending cuts they say have made the economic crisis worse. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
MADRID (AFP) - Riot police and anti-austerity protesters clashed in Spain and Italy on Wednesday as anger boiled over on a Europe-wide day of strikes and mass demonstrations.
General strikes in Spain and Portugal paralysed swathes of industry and hit road, rail and air transport, as people vented their frustration at state cutbacks.
Seething workers staged industrial walkouts in Italy, the euro zone's number three economy, and in Greece, fighting to avert default even after enacting an austerity squeeze of 13.5 billion euros (S$21 billion).
Against a background of peaceful industrial action and protests across Europe, however, police charged with batons in Spain and running street battles erupted in Italy.
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