Spaniards rally against budget cuts
Thousands of people march through the streets of Madrid - the latest round of demonstrations against a government austerity plan.
Similar protests were held across the country as anger mounts over 37 billion euros in looming budget cuts.
The plan calls for deep rollbacks in education and healthcare - something opposition leader Cayo Lara called unacceptable.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) UNITED LEFT LEADER, CAYO LARA, SAYING:
"We will continue to protest in the streets to vindicate the essential public services - health, education, social services. And we'll keep telling the government that there is an alternative to making cuts in order to solve the deficit and the alternative is increase revenues."
It was a sentiment echoed by demonstrators.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER, BEGONA, SAYING:
"We are protesting against the cuts in health, education and others. But I guess it is a bit because everything, because we see a plan to destroy the entire state of well being."
The government insists the cuts are necessary to end a five-year-old fiscal crisis in Spain, where unemployment sits at close to 25 percent.
Andrew Raven, Reuters
Similar protests were held across the country as anger mounts over 37 billion euros in looming budget cuts.
The plan calls for deep rollbacks in education and healthcare - something opposition leader Cayo Lara called unacceptable.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) UNITED LEFT LEADER, CAYO LARA, SAYING:
"We will continue to protest in the streets to vindicate the essential public services - health, education, social services. And we'll keep telling the government that there is an alternative to making cuts in order to solve the deficit and the alternative is increase revenues."
It was a sentiment echoed by demonstrators.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PROTESTER, BEGONA, SAYING:
"We are protesting against the cuts in health, education and others. But I guess it is a bit because everything, because we see a plan to destroy the entire state of well being."
The government insists the cuts are necessary to end a five-year-old fiscal crisis in Spain, where unemployment sits at close to 25 percent.
Andrew Raven, Reuters