SPAIN'S ANTI-AUSTERITY MOVEMENT ROCKS MADRID

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 %.

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.

Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Tripurari Mahārāja :
“Vedanta and Cyclical Cosmology”
Sri Caitanya Sanga - March 4, 2001, Vol. III, No. 17
http://www.swami.org/pages/sanga/
http://www.swami.org/pages/sanga/2001/2001_17.php

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/