Demonstration on streets of Madrid

Spain and Portugal see big anti-austerity rallies 

Tens of thousands of people have rallied in Spain and Portugal in protest at spending cuts and tax rises in the debt-hit countries.
 
In Madrid, public sector workers from all over Spain blocked the capital's Plaza de Colon square and nearby roads.
 
Protests were held in Lisbon and across Portugal, with one person reportedly attempting to set himself on fire.

The Spanish and Portuguese governments say the austerity measures will lead to economic recovery.

'Drastic reduction' 

Many of the protesters - including teachers, nurses and firefighters - were ferried to Madrid in buses by trade unions and other workers' rights groups who organised the rally. 

The crowds chanted anti-government slogans, blew whistles and waved banners that read "Enough!" and "They are sinking the country!" 

"There is no area of my work which has not been affected by the cuts," a 52-year-old doctor from Valencia, who only named himself as Jorge, was quoted as saying by Reuters. 

"It's a drastic reduction in the quality of service for patients, it's terrible," he said, adding that his own salary had shrunk by about 30% because of the austerity measures. 

But the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy insists that the cuts are necessary to save the eurozone's fourth largest economy. 

"These sacrifices are absolutely unavoidable if we are to correct the difficult economic climate we are experiencing," 

Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said. "We are laying the foundations for a recovery," he added. 

In July, the government announced a 65bn-euro (£60bn; $80bn) package of public sector wage cuts and tax rises - part of a deal with eurozone leaders to help rescue Spain's troubled banks. 

Madrid has also accepted a loan of up to 100bn euro loan for the country's banks and is set to announce a further series of economic reforms by the end of September. 

In Portugal, big rallies were mostly incident-free in Lisbon and Porto but, in the capital, tomatoes were thrown at offices belonging to the IMF and there were reports of scuffles between protesters and police. 

In the northern town of Aveiro, one demonstrator was taken to hospital after trying to set himself alight in protest against government policies, reports say. 

Portugal's RTP television quoted firefighters as saying his life was not in danger. 

Portugal has already cut public sector wages and raised taxes to reduce its budget deficit and deal with its economic crisis. 

The country agreed a 78bn-euro bailout deal and recently passed the latest review of its spending cuts.

For many, the last straw was an announcement a week ago that employees will pay sharply higher social security contributions from next year, even as employers' contributions are cut, says the BBC's Alison Roberts in Lisbon. 

Even prominent figures in the ruling parties have come out against a measure that would seem to hit the poor at least as hard as the rich, our correspondent says.  
 
   
Vocabulary: 
 
 a/to rally -

spending cuts -

debt-hit (adj) -

nearby (adj) -

to set stg on fire -

to lead to -

to ferry -

a crowd -

to chant -

to blow (blew, blown) -

a whistle -

to wave -

a banner -

to sink (sank, sunk) -

to quote -

to shrink (shrank, shrunk) -

a measure -

to lay the foundations -

wage(s) -

a loan -

to be set to -

a scuffle -

to set stg alight -

a tax rise -

to raise taxes -

a budget -

a bailout -

 a deal -

a review -

the last straw -

sharply (adv) -


Have you ever been on a demonstration?
 
Do you think demonstrations can make a difference?

Comments

lucia said…
Hi Graham,
How are you?
I am begining my english duties!
I am practicing with your interesting articles. I have read this article and the article : "How Spain's regions got into trouble", both are very interesting but too much realist and sad.

I hope you forgive my mistakes.

I also wish you will be my teacher next course.

ah! I went to last rally in MAdrid, and I think is very important go out to street for removing the goverment... I don't know if our President "Espe" has gave up her position by this cause.

Bye. LucĆ­a
Graham said…
Hi LucĆ­a!

What was the name I used to give you? I've forgotten.

Anyway, it's good to hear from you. I've been neglecting the blog lately so it was a nice surprise to read your comment. How are things? Did you have a good summer?

I will be back to MOJ, probably Mon / Wed. If there is one thing worse than a Tuesday morning class, it's a Monday morning one.

I hope I'll have as nice a class as last year and that there'll be students as eager as you.




I am beginning my English duties!

... both are very interesting but too realistic and sad.
- too + adjectives, too much/many + (adjectives) nouns

- a realist (n), realistic (adj)

I hope you (can) forgive my mistakes.

I also hope you will be my teacher for the next course.

ah! I went to (1)the latest rally in Madrid, and I think it is very (2)important to go out to the street (3)to remove the goverment... I don't know if our President "Espe" has given up her position for this reason.

(1) late v latest http://madteachergraham2.blogspot.com.es/2010/10/late-v-latest.html
(2) adjective + to + verb
(3) Infinitive of purpose http://madteachergraham2.blogspot.com.es/2012/02/infinitive-of-purpose-why.html

I agree with you up to a point. It's important to express your anger with government policies or to fight for democracy, but we had elections here not even a year ago. This isn't one of those countries trying to remove a dictator and we aren't in the days of Franco. So demonstrate; yes, but you should have clear motives for doing so.


If I'm not your teacher, we can go one morning for a coffee.

See you soon!
luciti said…
hi Graham!

thank for your corrections.
I saw the sections of your blog that you recomended.

bye, Luciti.