Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to streets across Spain on Sunday, marching in roughly 60 cities to protest unemployment rates, which continue to break records, and the government's austerity-crazed handling of the economic recession laced with governmental corruption.
150 organizations, including two main trade unions, CCOO and UGT, and a wide collective of other civil groups, organized that nationwide day of protest, calling out "against unemployment and for the renewal of democracy."
"Bread and a roof at a fair price," read signs waved by protestors. Other signs feature pictures of current Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy reading, "Wanted: serial con man".
In Spain, there are currently 5 million people unemployed and an overall jobless rate of 26 per cent--statistics trade unions and protesters say are directly tied to budget cuts and general austerity measures pushed in the interest of big banks and large corporations under the guise of healing the economy.
UGT, the General Union of Workers, called for "a radical and urgent change in economic policy in Europe as well as Spain," in a statement.
The day of demonstrations comes ahead of a Europe Union-wide protest called by the European Trade Union Confederation on March 13 and 14.
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