Mass protest in Spain against cuts

Tens of thousands of protesters from across Spain gathered in Madrid to decry austerity measures enacted by the government. Activists accused leaders of “destroying” Spain with brutal program cuts and tax hikes, aimed at avoiding an EU bailout.
Some 50,000 protesters converged in waves in the center of the Spanish capital, blowing whistles and waving banners that read, “they are destroying the country, we must stop them.” Representatives from over 230 civic and professional organizations also turned out to express anger at the new measures, amid cries of “lies!” and “enough!”
Demonstrators called for a referendum to decide whether the unpopular public sector cuts instated by Mariano Rajoy’s government should continue.
The Spanish government’s austerity measures will cut an estimated 102 billion euros ($126.5 billion) from the budget, and are to be introduced before 2014 with the aim of reducing the country’s deficit and avoiding an EU bailout.