In response an unprecedented 600,000 people swarmed the gates of parliament and 40 city centres across the country,
No idea whether it\’s true or not but if it is that\’s over 5% of the total population.
Which for public demonstrations is quite large really.
Seems a wee bit low for the %tage of people who want to keep their free lunch and have the free time to attend protests…
Umm, given that Spain has a population of about 47 million, it’s around 1.3%.
Curmudgeon
Umm, given that part of the article is about Portugal, population about 11 million……
@Curmudgeon – that number refers to the Portgugese protests
Noteworthy that increased social security contributions are acknowledged as a ‘bad thing’ in the Graun?
The article *says* that it is about Spain. Tim lives in Portugal.
Normally the number attending public protests is small because some of the minority who might want to protest are working or resting after work. When the number of young unemployed goes over 25% (did I hear 50% in Spain?) as it recently has thanks to the Socialist government, the numbers able and willing to protest soars.
Nope. The first 3/4 are about Spain. The end is about Portugal.
hmm lived there for 7 years never once met someone who understood economics. leftism is engrained in the mentality so they r fucked. it’s a shame becus it really is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet.
in France, such a protest would have entailed tractors across the railtracks and blocking major roads…no doubt the paisanos will learn
@m..monkee: “hmm lived there for 7 years never once met someone who understood economics. leftism is engrained in the mentality so they r fucked.”
You must be talking about the UK.
“it’s a shame becus it really is one of the most beautiful countries on the planet.”
Oh. You’re not.
Whether the financial markets (per the sub-heading) or Brussels (per the main text) is to blame, aren’t these Latin chaps protesting in the wrong place?
Bit like a teenager trying on a sulky sit-in at his parents’ house after he’s been in care for a decade.
Although, tbf, if the financial markets are to blame then these Latin chaps might usefully demand their, ahem, sovereign government implements an autarky, seals the country from foreign capital and writes off all debts.
The Free Money tree is shut. Anarchy ensues.
The real culprit, the Factcthese countries are part of an unworkable currency Union, once more escapes this left wing iconoclast. Nothing to do with Goldman Sachs – these cuts are mandated by the ECB. If, as I have advocated for the last year, either government had the brass neck to reintroduce the peseta or escudo, their problems, whilst not over by any stretch, would at least be closer to resolution than they are now.