Spanish scientists and concerned citizens held a 'minute of silence' on Thursday to mourn the death of scientific research and advancement caused by the nation's continued adherence to destructive budgetary cuts and austerity measures which researchers say have killed the ability for them to do their work.

As Agence France-Presse reports:

In Madrid dozens of researchers, some wearing mourning black, others decked out in their white lab coats, gathered at noon at the steps of the science departments at the Complutense University, one of the world's oldest universities, to mark the moment of silence.

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The "day of mourning for science" was organised by the Open Letter for Science group, a platform grouping the main scientific bodies in the country.

It was timed to coincide with the 79th anniversary of the death of Spanish neuroscientist Santiago Ramon y Cajal, who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1906.

"We want to send the message that the government is completely paralysing research in Spain and condemning it to death with its budget policy," Carlos Andradas, the president of the Confederation of Scientific Associations of Spain, told AFP.

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