DAILY BEAST / AP: Tens of thousands of Spaniards angered by grim economic prospects and the political handling of the international financial crisis turned out for street demonstrations in the country’s cities Saturday, marking the one-year anniversary of a movement that inspired similar pressure groups in other countries.
Protesters in Madrid flooded into the central Puerta del Sol plaza in the evening and aimed to stay for three days. But authorities warned they wouldn’t allow anyone to camp out overnight, and up to 2,000 riot police were expected to be on duty.
“I’m here to defend the rights that we’re losing and for the young people who have it so tough,” 57-year-old middle school teacher Roberto Alonso said. “They’re better educated than ever. But they don’t have work. They don’t have anything. They’re behind and they’ll stay that way.”… (more)
EDITORIAL: Throughout Europe – be it Spain or Greee with their huge unemployment figures or prosperous Germany – people are waking up to the obvious: debt cannot be paid down by shrinking the economies, only through expansion. Here at home the right wing Republicans have purposefully generated unemployment, supposedly to balance the budget, but in fact to prevent the re-election of Barack Obama. And it appears as though this destructive approach may accomplish its nefarious intention.
