Protesters flood streets of Lisbon & London

Reuters · Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010

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Protesters flooded the streets in Lisbon and London Wednesday at protests in their governments' attempts to rein in spending and cut services.

Portuguese unions staged what they said was the country's largest general strike, pressing the government to scrap austerity measures intended to ward off a debt crisis that is spreading through the euro zone.

Any wavering in the Socialist government's committment to austerity measures could push up Portugal's borrowing costs in the same vicious spiral that have forced Ireland and Greece to seek international aid.

The strike stopped trains and buses, grounded planes and halted services from health care to banking.

"It is a bigger strike than the one in 1988," said Joao Proenca, head of the UGT union. "We consider it to be the biggest strike ever."

Manuel Carvalho da Silva, head of the country's biggest CGTP union, said more than three million people in the country of 10 million took part.

"This strike offers an unequivocal sign that the government and the political forces must interpret," he said. "The way out of the crisis cannot be through sacrifices made by the workers."

Lisbon was relatively quiet as many people were prevented from going to work, but roads in and around the capital were choked with traffic as commuters opted to use their cars. Cafes and shops were open and vans delivered goods as usual.

Jose Socrates, the Portuguese Prime Minister, has repeatedly ruled out the need for a bailout, pledging to stay the course to cut the budget deficit through tough wage reductions for civil servants, tax hikes and major cuts to public services.

"What's coming for the new generation is very sad. I don't see a solution for them aside from emigrating to other countries where they may have new opportunities," said Madalena Costa, 66, a retired teacher, as she passed a train station emptied by the strike.

Others were angered by the protest, saying the country could not afford the stoppage.

"This strike is completely absurd," said Pedro Silva, 36, a biology teacher at a private school, who had to take a taxi to work.

"The Portuguese have to understand that there is no money, and if there is no money, people have to work to get it."

In Britain, demonstrators scuffled with police as thousands of university and school students across the country protested against government plans to raise university tuition fees.

Small groups of protesters hurled placards at officers and others attacked a police van as they massed near Parliament in central London.

Young people staged walkouts at universities, schools and colleges in a national day of action at the Conservative-led coalition government proposals to almost triple tuition charges to up to £9,000 ($14,500) a year.

"I feel very strongly about the fees. I want to go to university and can't afford to. I'm not rich and that's why I'm here," said Ben Batten, 15.

"I don't think it's right to smash a police van at all though."

Two weeks ago, protesters stormed a building that houses the Conservative Party headquarters in London during the first major demonstration directly linked to the government's £81-billion ($130-billion) spending cuts announced last month.

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