Portuguese police in austerity protest

The Portugese capital Lisbon witnesses the strange sight on Wednesday of off-duty police pressing for a pay rise, being held back by on-duty officers guarding the Finance Ministry.

Many public sector workers are angry about a pay-freeze by the government as part of its attempts to reduce the country’s heavy debt burden.

More than a thousand off-duty police demonstrated, at one point they tried to force their way into the Finance Ministry.

They’re demanding that the government apply new pay rates to all officers.

Portugal had to ask for a 78 billioin euro bail-out earlier this year to avoid bankruptcy.

In return it had to agree to a range of steep austerity measures.

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