SPANISH ANTI-AUSTERITY PROTESTERS
CLASH WITH RIOT POLICE NEAR PARLIAMENT
www.montrealgazette.com -
Tens of thousands of Spaniards and Portuguese rallied in the streets of
their countries' capitals Saturday to protest enduring deep economic
pain from austerity measure, and the demonstration in Madrid turned
violent after Spaniards enraged over a long-lasting recession and
sky-high unemployment clashed with riot police for the third time in
less than a week near Parliament.
The latest violence came after
thousands of Spaniards who had marched close to the Parliament building
in downtown Madrid protested peacefully for hours. Police with batons
later moved in just before midnight to clear out those who remained late
because no permission had been obtained from authorities to hold the
demonstration. Some protesters responded by throwing bottles and rocks.
An Associated Press photographer saw police severely beat one protester
who was taken away in an ambulance.
Spain's
state TV said early Sunday that two people were hurt and 12 detained
near the barricades erected in downtown Madrid to shield the Parliament
building. Television images showed police charging protesters and
hitting them with their batons, but the violence did not appear as
severe as a protest on Tuesday when 38 people were arrested and 64
injured. Earlier, the boisterous crowds let off ear-splitting whistles
and yelled “Fire them, fire them!” - referring to the conservative
government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, and venting their anger
against tax hikes, government spending cuts and the highest unemployment
rate among the 17 nations that use the euro currency.
On Friday,
Rajoy's administration presented a 2013 draft budget that will cut
overall spending by €40 billion ($51.7 billion), freezing the salaries
of public workers, cutting spending for unemployment benefits and even
reducing spending for Spain's royal family next year by 4 %.
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With
the Spanish economy teetering on a precipice, the ruling government of
conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced new austerity
measures, a move that triggered mass protests in the country’s capital.
Led by the organizers of the longstanding “indignado” movement - which
inspired Occupy Wall Street in the U.S. - protesters marched on the
Spanish parliament, but were confronted with violence from riot police.
Over 60 were injured, while dozens were arrested. In Portugal, tens of
thousands took to the streets of Lisbon to peacefully protest against
even deeper austerity cutbacks than Spain has imposed. The governors
asked citizens austerity but they do not practice it. The rulers should
follow the moral guidelines given by the wise sages and sadhus.
WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?
Although
it may appear reasonable to conclude that the world order is linear and
evolving continually in the direction of infinite progress because one
can site many instances of consistent human progress, this analysis
ignores the regression that accompany this progress. For example, one
could argue that the entire industrial revolution has given birth to an
environmental holocaust that is returning the planet to the ice age. The
social evolution that gave rise to modern government brought with it
massive political oppression, genocide, and so on. ... General
experience reveals that humanity has both progressed and regressed over
and over again. I suspect it will continue to do so forever, while some
souls will take the leap of well reasoned faith from the ferris wheel of
the material circus and tread the sure ground of unthinkable path of
consistent progress that leads to liberation and ever expanding love of
God.
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