Thousands of Spanish students march for third day against cuts (PHOTOS)

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Published time: October 18, 2012 19:36
Edited time: October 18, 2012 23:53

Thousands of people protest against the Spanish government's latest austerity measures, in Madrid (AFP Photo / Dominique Faget)

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Austerity, Crisis, Education, Europe, Protest

Thousands of students have taken to the streets of Madrid in the third and final day of protests organized by the Spanish Student’s Union against education spending cuts.

The demonstrators marched from Atocha Square to the heart of Madrid’s historic center on Puerta del Sol Square on Thursday.

Many wore green T-shirts amidst a sea of banners and placards denouncing the budget cuts.

Approximately $6.5 billion has been cut from education funding in Spain since 2010, reducing the number of teachers per school, available scholarships, and subsidized meals and textbooks for low income students across the country.

Dramatic hikes in tuition fees have also been announced as Spain appears on the brink of asking for a bailout amid its deepening budget crisis.

Leaders from the 27 EU member states are attending a two day summit in Brussels on Thursday to tackle the bloc’s shaky economic foundations.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy could use the summit to "make explicit the conditions that would be imposed in exchange for aid," one diplomatic source told AFP.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to deputize a “budget czar” to enforce the 17-member eurozone’s budget rules – including the power to accept or reject member states’ proposed spending and tax plans.

(AFP Photo / Dominique Faget)

Both France and the non-euro member Britain have pushed back against the proposal in opposition to giving Brussels even more power over national taxation policy.

London-based journalist Tom Gill told RT Chancellor Merkel’s desire for the EU to be empowered to veto national budgets is a “big attack” on the bloc’s democratic principles.

“[Merkel’s proposal] has been part and parcel of the whole process of European integration for quite some time now, with the removal of monetary and fiscal policy from national governments. Since the creation of the single currency, there’s been a huge democratic deficit. And current proposals that will give more power to unelected officials in Brussels and Frankfurt, and give a particular amount of power to the stronger states, is fundamentally undemocratic and is rolling back the whole principles of what European integration was founded not long after the Second World War,” he said.

Gill argues out of touch EU politicians and unfettered markets have given free roam to banks and the global elite to call the shots while everyone else pays the price.

“They’re ripping up the social contract that was created after the Second World War, they’re rolling back labor rights, they’re privatizing public services; this is not in the interest of European people and yet our European leaders carry on with the same policies again and again, and it will only lead to further misery,” he concluded.

University and highschool students attend a demonstration against deep government cuts to education spending on October 18, 2012 in Madrid (AFP Photo / Dominique Faget)

Comments (3)

Sagidragon 26.10.2012 20:02

The things that both Anonoymous and The Beak miss is that Socialism has always had some form of Capatilism wither it be the barter system or trade between different tribes such as the North American Indians had for thousands of years. The trouble of Capatilism that is put in play today is the winner take all which never works and those on the top whom have contacts and whom parents handed down the money to them are not responsible players and wish to keep those on the bottom as subservant to them. Power and greed go hand and hand with little care for the following generations that come afterward. Even in England during it's hey day of setting up colonies like in the current USA the revolution started mainly becaue we were a feudalistic colony of Britian and the wealth was notshared which is basically what Capatilism is today. The wealthy here say that they got there by themselve without us little people. EXCUSE ME,all the dams that created Electricity the Panama Canal the road waysand shipping docking areas dredged etc. were payed by taxpayers and many people would not have the money they had if it weren't for that, not only that but the people whom fought the wars and settled and establishedsafe places for the companies to operate and the workers whom gave good ideas to the companies to improve production or the product whom never recieved credit. Instead these people act like their wealth was ordained by their god and did not take allot of effort by many people. Social Capatalism is where you make sure that everybody gets a share and in any society wither it be in Norway or long ago when the North American Indians hadcontrole of the land you do not take and not give back. The Europeansconquer and then destroy their land and rape it and leave a huge scar and then they look at others whom are prosporing and say well let's take their land and wealth. That may have worked when their was very few peoplein the world but that is not what it is today. If you keep people subservantand destroy their homes and land you will find very angry people and you might find yourself having a sharp chunk of steel come down on your neck and your head gets seperated from your body.

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The Beak (unregistered) 20.10.2012 03:01

In response to Anonoymous. Simple question if we to agree with you that Socialism dosen't work and that by extension of your arguement Capitalism is the the best. Why, Why, Why, did the US govt. socialised the global banks by giving the about 216 billion of PUBLIC money as bailout without Public accounatablity? Americans do not know that the 1% are ripping them of royally. If when American wake up to this reality and they decide to exact VENGENCE for them in the face of their Security forces response, that's revolution. Yes. It is either you are an innocent fool or a collabrator with 1%. Simple.

+31

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Anonoymous (unregistered) 19.10.2012 08:33

Socialism doesn't work! Read your own rich history for your own sake.

Undo