Portugal rallies against spending cuts

Thousands of Portuguese have marched through Lisbon to voice their anger at the government’s austerity policies.

The protest was organised by one of the country’s major unions.

It opposes the spending cuts and tax hikes demanded by Portugal’s international lenders, the EU, the IMF and the European Central Bank.

The measures form part of a 78-billion-euro bailout.

The head of the CGTP union, Armenios Carlos, said he was against “the unlimited sacrifices that the Portuguese people are being asked to make”.

Organisers said one hundred thousand people took part in the rally, which descended on Lisbon’s Commerce Square.

However, the protest was smaller than nationwide marches two weeks ago.

Half a million people demonstrated against a tax hike that forced the government into an embarrassing U-turn.

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