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'Heart Over Hard': Thousands Protest Austerity in Brussels
Demonstrators call for Belgian government to tackle fraud and enact higher taxes on the rich
Mar 30, 2015
For the second day in a row, thousands of demonstrators and trade union activists protested in the streets of Brussels on Monday, calling for an alternative to the Belgian government's austerity measures.
According to the Associated Press, those participating in Monday's rally "braved hail and winds as they demanded the right-wing government change course and make sure the brunt of the austerity is borne by the wealthy."
Calling for higher taxes on the rich, notably on capital gains, and tougher action to tackle fraud, the protesters specifically "targeted measures by the business-friendly government of Prime Minister Charles Michel such as cuts in public sector pay, the extension in working hours and restrictions to social services," AP reports.
Up to 7,000 people were expected to take place in strikes across the country Monday.
TeleSUR reports that the event was organized by the "social NGO Hart boven Hard," which translates to "Heart over Hard."
Monday's demonstration follows one that took place on Sunday, where an estimated 20,000 protesters from various cities rallied against social injustice.
As Press TV reported: "A number of the protesters shouted slogans like, 'Yes, there is an alternative'... They also called for a fair tax system and a better distribution of government spending."
See photos of the action on Twitter under the hashtag #hardbovenhart:
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Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
For the second day in a row, thousands of demonstrators and trade union activists protested in the streets of Brussels on Monday, calling for an alternative to the Belgian government's austerity measures.
According to the Associated Press, those participating in Monday's rally "braved hail and winds as they demanded the right-wing government change course and make sure the brunt of the austerity is borne by the wealthy."
Calling for higher taxes on the rich, notably on capital gains, and tougher action to tackle fraud, the protesters specifically "targeted measures by the business-friendly government of Prime Minister Charles Michel such as cuts in public sector pay, the extension in working hours and restrictions to social services," AP reports.
Up to 7,000 people were expected to take place in strikes across the country Monday.
TeleSUR reports that the event was organized by the "social NGO Hart boven Hard," which translates to "Heart over Hard."
Monday's demonstration follows one that took place on Sunday, where an estimated 20,000 protesters from various cities rallied against social injustice.
As Press TV reported: "A number of the protesters shouted slogans like, 'Yes, there is an alternative'... They also called for a fair tax system and a better distribution of government spending."
See photos of the action on Twitter under the hashtag #hardbovenhart:
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
For the second day in a row, thousands of demonstrators and trade union activists protested in the streets of Brussels on Monday, calling for an alternative to the Belgian government's austerity measures.
According to the Associated Press, those participating in Monday's rally "braved hail and winds as they demanded the right-wing government change course and make sure the brunt of the austerity is borne by the wealthy."
Calling for higher taxes on the rich, notably on capital gains, and tougher action to tackle fraud, the protesters specifically "targeted measures by the business-friendly government of Prime Minister Charles Michel such as cuts in public sector pay, the extension in working hours and restrictions to social services," AP reports.
Up to 7,000 people were expected to take place in strikes across the country Monday.
TeleSUR reports that the event was organized by the "social NGO Hart boven Hard," which translates to "Heart over Hard."
Monday's demonstration follows one that took place on Sunday, where an estimated 20,000 protesters from various cities rallied against social injustice.
As Press TV reported: "A number of the protesters shouted slogans like, 'Yes, there is an alternative'... They also called for a fair tax system and a better distribution of government spending."
See photos of the action on Twitter under the hashtag #hardbovenhart:
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