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Protesters in Brussels on Sunday. (Photo: Geertje Franssen/Hart boven Hard/Facebook)

'Heart Over Hard': Thousands Protest Austerity in Brussels

Demonstrators call for Belgian government to tackle fraud and enact higher taxes on the rich

Deirdre Fulton

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:

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
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