Thousands continue to protest in Spain ahead of elections

Thousands continue to protest in Spain ahead of elections

2011-05-21 23:11:34 GMT+7 (ICT)

MADRID (BNO NEWS) -- Tens of thousands of people on Saturday continue to protest against high unemployment and the Spanish government's austerity measures, defying a ban on protesting before the local elections.

El País reported that protesters, most of them young, gathered in the main Spanish cities to demand "real democracy". Thousands of people have been sleeping in tents for the past week in the Puerta del Sol square in Madrid to demand a reform of Spain's democratic system.

Protesters chanted slogans like "We are all illegal now" and "We are reflecting" at the stroke of midnight when the government ban entered into force. The electoral commission prohibited such protests on Saturday, which is pre-election "reflection day". The organizers, however, claim that they have no intention to talk about voting or anything that affects reflection day.

Interior Minister met with the leaders of the security forces to monitor the peaceful development of the protests since police were given orders not to disperse the rallies.

Rallies took place in several places across the country, including Galicia, Palma, Sevilla, and Barcelona where more than 5,000 people joined the protests. In Valencia, hundreds of people formed a human chain at the City Hall, while in Bilbao, over 3,000 angry citizens gathered in defense of a "real democracy".

Sit-in protests were also reported in London, Brussels, Lisbon, Athens, Milan, and Berlin.

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